Reverse Diamond Falls
by 616mcu
Summary: (With Permission from Minijen.) You know the story, you know the tale. You've seen the struggle, as it unveils. But the story we tell is different, its a story full of change. Everything we know, can be rearranged. A life full of struggle, makes life like a curse. But what can you expect, when its told in reverse?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone. I just like to go out and say it...**

 **I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M ACTUALLY WRITING THIS FIC. OOOOHH, THIS IS THE GREATEST HONNOR I COULD EVER GET ON THIS SITE. THANK YOU, THANK YO MINIJEN FOR ALLOWING THIS, I LOVE THIS, THANK YOU.**

 **Now, on to business, in case you don't know, this is based off of The Reverse Pines/falls Au, where in this universe, Dipper and Mabel are the bad guys, filling in the roles of Pacifica and Gideon(at least when they were evil). They are not the most emotional or caring beings, and seek total power and dominance. This is combined with the popular Au, Steven Diamond, where Steven is the son of Yellow Diamond instead. He grew up on homeworld, being mostly raised by Periods, Lapis, And Jasper. He's cold, calculating, and distant towards others. He's always tactically minded, always doing what he thinks is needed to carry out his goal for Homeworld.**

 **Imaging my favorite characters as villains has always been an interesting concept to me, so to be able to write this with permission from the author of the Original Universe Falls, there is honestly no words to describe how I feel, except ecstatic, jolly, and any other synonym for happy.**

 **Now be warned, this fic is going to strive further from cannon than the original story. Funny, because I'm writing two separate Au's into one based off a story that itself is a big Au. The main focus will be on Steven and the twins as they fight to gain power over Gravity Falls and the world. Connie, unfortunately will not be friends with them, as she is one of their main enemies, along side the Crystal Gems. And the trio will not be the most sympathetic, over time, they will soften up a little, though don't expect that to be anytime soon.**

 **So, without further ado, here comes Reverse Diamond Falls.**

 **I own nothing, not even the Au concept. All rights go to MiniJen, Alex Hirsche, Rebecca Sugar, and whoever else worked on those two shows.**

* * *

 _A lifetime ago…._

 _Within the dark corners of the uncharted woods, a figure hid in secret. A figure shrouded in the dark. He knew too much about what was at hand. He knew that the power and knowledge he held was dangerous, and if in the wrong hands, it could spell disaster for the quiet town, maybe even the world. Forces were against him; higher powers were out to get him. He was sure of it! He knew that only he himself could keep the secrets safe._

 _Thump. Thump. Thump._

 _His heart beat went faster and faster, like the drums of a marching band. Each one seemed to get louder and louder as he tried to move. He couldn't. He was frozen in fear. He knew that one false step could trigger THEIR presence._

 _Thump. Thump. Thump._

 _With every beat, he began to drown in cold sweat. His stench already was attracting a few small insects. He knew that he didn't have much time left. He needed to hide it. He reaches into the confines of his coat, perhaps the only safe spot left in the town, a pulled out a large, read Book with a golden hand. In the center of that journal, was a large, black 3 on it. He opens it up and writes something down before closing it, hopefully for good, as he grabs the shovel he brought with him._

 _Deciding not to waste any more time, he begins digging. More and more dirt begins to rise from the ground, and the deeper he gets, the more anxious he becomes. This was it. This was the final one. All he had to do was complete his task, and he could say goodbye to all his problems. Finally, he could get back to his normal life. No more mystery, no more dark secrets and conspiracies, and best of all, no more …_

 _Crash. Crash. Crash._

 _Something began to make noise. And it wasn't a quiet noise. It was big, loud, and inhuman. Nothing could ever compare. With every step that was taken, it was like a mini earth just waiting for the moment to destroy everything in its path._

 _Stomp. Stomp. Stomp._

 _Louder and louder the stomps get, and the more the man begins to worry. He had finally made the hole deep enough. Now all he had to do was cover it with the book inside and he would be free._

 _Stomp. Stomp. Stomp._

 _The man had begun to replace the dirt, but now the stomps were getting closer. It was like with every second that he moved, the noise somehow knew where to look. The man knew that his time was almost up, and he was only know halfway done. He knew it had to be done completely, or else they would find it. And if they found at least one of these books, untold amounts of chaos and carnage would be unleashed,_

 _especially in the hands of HER._

 _STOMP. STOMP. STOMP. STOMP._

 _The man had finally done it. He had finished the task. Unfortunately, right as he did, a tall, foreboding figure hovered over him. It looked at him menacingly. It was if the figure was observing him. And if it was, then said figure was not impressed._

 _With a single wave of the giant's massive hand, it threatened to squash the poor man. Fortunately, the adrenalin kicked. With a body full of energy and the pure will to live, he leapt out of the way, and ran into to the woods. Faster and faster he ran, he dared not to looked back. He knew he position far too well. He was a mouse, a little, tiny, scared and insignificant mouse playing its part in the game. He knew if he stopped running, then he would lose, and the all-powerful cat would win, in more ways than one._

 _So he ran. And ran, and he ran, and he ran, not caring about how exhausted he was, nor about the blister forming at his feet. With each step it felt as if needles were being jammed into his legs. At any moment, he felt as if he was going to collapse on the spot._

 _But he found the strength to keep moving. He was not going to let them win._

 _At long last, he had made it. Soon, he had ran so far and deep into the woods that even the monsterous stomps of the giant were nothing more than slight taps on the ground. All the man could hear was the voice of said creature, which even from the distance he was at, was still loud, vicious, and demanding_ _._

 _"Find him! Find that human! We need to learn what he knows! Find him now!" It screamed as she ranted and demanded in anger._

 _Oh how the man felt foolish. Of course their was no way it would be this easy. He couldn't just hide the journals and escape. That would've been too easy. He should've known they wouldn't just let him leave, they've been here for centuries, of course they wouldn't let something like this go so easily._

 _He knew this was just the beginning. He would have to hide within the shadows. He couldn't just leave with them after the knowledge, no that would have been selfish. This was his home now, and he would do what he could to save it from the destruction that would soon come to pass. But if he was going to stop them, then he had to do it alone. He couldn't trust her though, nor her little group of friends. Never again would he trust their kind, especially not after what she did. And everyone in town would freak if they truly knew what this little town was really all about. He knew all to well the consequences of trusting someone of this town._

 _For in Gravity Falls, their is no one you can trust._

* * *

"Come on! When are you going to trust me to take the lead?" complained the voice of a thirteen-year-old girl as she walked out from a big light blue tent. Said girl was wearing a sky-blue suit with a black skirt, along with black fish net stockings and black heals. She had chocolate brown hair as she wore star like earrings, along with black eyeliner and blue eyeshadow that made her look slightly sad if you really looked at it. Her voice sounded young and very childlike, though a bit snobbish and rude.

"Uh, the same day I can trust you not to use your magic to terrorize all of our cliental away." Said the voice of an adorative 13-year-old boy. He wore all black pants, shoes, socks and collar shirt, over it being a light blue vest. He also wore something of a cape, half of it on his front, and half on back. He has short but messy chocolate hair, which slightly covered a big birth mark that look something like the big Dipper. His voice was also young, but it portrayed some sense of maturity and boldness. Said boy was shooting an irritated look at his twin sister, knowing that at any moment, she would say or do something that would show she wasn't listening or prove his point, or both.

Mabel at the moment was walking pass a young chubby kid with light brown hair. The kid looked like he was going to say hi, but before he could, Mabel waved he hands over him, emitting some sort of blue flame from it as she dead. In that instant, the kid was completely covered in snakes. He ran off, screaming in terror as he tried to shake off the little green horrors. That left Mabel laughing hysterically in his displeasure, while also unknowingly proving his brother's point. "I'm sorry, were you saying something?" She asked, finally calming down to acknowledge her brother.

Dipper just lets out an irritated sigh as he brings his hand to his head. "This is what I mean Mabel. You don't have the brain power to acknowledge anything other than your own petty amusement. Therefore, you never take the lead. That's why I'm the mastermind here." He smirks at his own ability.

"Oh please." She scoffs in disbelief. Lately her brother has been getting stiff, and well it did work when they were completing important tasks, it made him a really big bore. "Don't tell me you don't find this stuff at least the slightest amount of amusing. Besides, we are like, the most powerful kids in the world, and what's the point of being a kid with powers if you don't try to have fun with them?" She questioned as she got a little too close for comfort as she looked at him face to face, with their noses touching each other.

The boy shows no discomfort as he simply stares at her. "Having power is one thing Mabel. It's a whole other thing to master it, control it, to bend it to your will." He seriously stresses as he moves from his spot and moves forward. "You know what we're really here for, right Mabel?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, to find the mysterious power that our Great uncle Stanford talked about in his journal and use it to conquer to world, blah, blah, teacher's pet." She murmured that last part before continuing. "I get it, I know about it, but face it, that Journal has left no close on where to find it, and we've haven't seen our dear Great Uncle since he disappeared on us two years ago." Mabel bluntly stated. "Come on, we have this power, everyone already adores us, and we're rich beyond measure. We could run this crummy town anytime we want. Why not do it now when the going is good?"

"Mabel, you know our power is but only a small fraction of what it could really be. Imagine" Dipper say as he grabs Mabel by his side and slightly gets a little too excited in explaining. Mabel just uncomfortably listened as he ranted on. " Powers from beyond the earth, beyond our universe even! Powers to move mountains and create earthquakes with a single stomp! Powers that can defy the what we understand about the normal physical plane, abilities we can't even comprehend because our primitive minds are…." He got louder and louder as he continued to rant. He probably would've continued to do so if it wasn't for his sister's timely inturrption.

" _SNORE.._ , Wait what was that? I couldn't understand. You know I didn't take the nerd language class this year." She mocked as she demeaned her brother. "Fine brother, you win, we'll do this your way for now, but mark my words that we'll come back to this. You can't be Great Uncle Stanford. We need to do this our way." She said as she tried to sway her brother's thinking.

This just gets Dipper mad. "Mabel, Great Uncle Ford was the greatest man I've known. When he saw an opportunity to take power, he did. He let nothing get in his way. He let nothing to chance. That's how he got so far in life. That's why we're so far in life Mabel! Without him, we'd just be petty orphans begging for scraps of garbage just to survive! That's why I'm going to follow his lead, because it's the only way to succeed." He ended as he made his way back to the tent.

Mabel just sighed. When they were younger, their parents died of some unknown accident, leaving them orphans for most of their young lives. They lived in a ratty orphanage for about a year. That was the cruelest part of their lives. Nothing could compare to the pain of their parent's death, but living in that cruel place was a close second. Everyday was miserable for the twins, abusive staff, poor housing, hardly any food, though the one to receive the most torment was Dipper. They were constantly reminded them of how weak they were in that situation. That's when the Pines twins made a pact. They promised to never abandon each other, They promised to rise together, to stay strong together. And more importantly, they promised themselves to never be weak again.

That day finally arrived when came the appearance of their Great Uncle Stanford. He was a world renown show man with a once promising career as a scientist, who also for some reason had six fingers. He had heard about two possible young relatives in need of some care, so he came as soon as he heard and took them under his wing. But while the Pines twins gained a guardian, Stanford gained something a little more than family, heirs and apprentices. Realizing the great opportunity, Stanford taught them everything he learned about the _weird side_ of the world. Apparently, he was a master of something that could only be described as weird. He trained them in the ways of the weird, teaching them how to summon the dark and rather uncanny power. Not only that, he'd taught them the art of power grabbing, both in the literal and business sense. While Mabel loved this grand new power an opportunity, Dipper was ecstatic and relished in it. After a year of torment and abuse, the power, the knowledge, the opportunity, it was more than he could ever dream of. And Ford couldn't have been prouder. Dipper was a natural prodigy in both intellect and weirdness, so it was pretty obvious who the favorite was.

That's how they lived most of their lives, until one day, he just vanished, no where to be seen. All he left them was a note as well as a book with a large number 2 on it. All the note left was instructions on what to do.

Find the portal.

Gain the power.

Cease his power at all costs.

Do what needs to be done.

Stomp on all those who oppose you.

And trust no one

Ever since that day, they've been on their own, trying to fulfill their dear Great uncle's wishes. Dipper was determined to do so, not just for the power, but for Great uncle Stanford. Mabel was often uneasy at this. Sure, she was all in for gaining ultimate power, but those words really stuck to her.

Trust no one.

Mabel could only hope that it didn't refer to each other.

* * *

"Trust me, my Diamond, our routine checks on Earth will begin shortly." Said a nasally, high pitched voice. She was tall and green, with sharp shades of black on her shoulders, waist, and legs. She had a bright green Gem on her forehead, where also lied a clean, clear visor on her eyes. She had a light yell head of hair, which was somehow shaped into a triangle. She spoke with a rather persistent tone, almost as if she was trying to please the one she was speaking to.

"Excellent, Peridot. You have performed your duty's well. Head back to the ships main controls and prep for our landing." Said an authoritative, blunt, but young, voice. He wore an all yellow suit, yellow shirt, boots, gloves, and even a cape, all various shades of the bright color. He had a young build, slight chubby but somehow also buff enough to tell you how strong he is. His hair, was a little strange. At the back of it, it was curly with swirls and swirls of circles, but at the front, it shot up, showing of three prominent spikes at the head. Probably his most uncanny feature, however, was the large, yellow Diamond in the center of his chest. His entire aurora gave off something of a royalty vibe, if not, at least you'd know he was someone important.

"Yes, my Diamond." Peridot bowed respectfully as she took off. As she did however, she let out an elated chuckle. She loved her Diamond with a passion, and although the original was no longer with them, her "son" was so much like her in many ways. She just couldn't help but be happy serving him. She was given the honor of educating him in the ways of Homeworld, in the ways of the authority. She, a Peridot, teaching a Diamond! There was no greater honor than that for her. She could only hope that she could teach him to be just as great of a leader as the original.

"Uh, seriously, why must these trips be so tedious? And why must we go to Earth so often? If Homeworld hates it so much, why can't we simply…." He starts complaining before he is interrupted by an unexpected force. The young Diamond looked around, skeptically, but not scared. All he could was watch as the white and orange blur surround him as it prepares to make its move. All the Diamond does is close his eyes as he prepares for the assault.

"AGHGHHHHHHH!" The blur yelled out as it made itself clear to she as it launches itself at the twelve-year-old child. It had a large orange body with tangerine stripes across her face and arms. She had a big bundle of fluffy, white, messy hair that reached the floor. Her uniform had some had various shades of dark orange and brown. She seemed to wear some sort of brown cape that went a little passed the shoulders. Most interestingly, she had a small, orange gem right on her face where her nose should have been. She was fully ready to take out the little Diamond. All it would take was one good tackle and he was good as dea….

Smock

Before she could reach him, he reached out his hand and grabbed her fist, somehow stop the full force of the incoming Jasper. What was even more impressive, was when he somehow lifted the hulking gem up and slammed her on the ground while carrying her overhead. She slowly opened her eyes to acknowledge exactly what had just happened, to meet the stern gaze of the little ruler, who seemed completely unbothered by her attempted assault.

"You know Jasper, one could get the idea that you're going easy on me. The next time that you plan to assault the one in charge of you, you'd better come to me with an actual challenge." He plainly stated as he watched her get up.

"Impressive as always, my Diamond" she humbly bowed as she got to her knees. The Diamond just shrugs this off as he makes his way towards the lower chambers. This confuses the Quartz as she follows him. "Is there something bothering you, my Diamond? I heard about you troubles as you walked in." She says with a little concern. The Diamond just turns around, and grabs the orange Quartz by the neck collar.

"If you intrude upon my personal thoughts again, I'll have you bubbled for the next century, got it!" He warned as he lets go.

"Y-yes, yes, of course, my Dimond." She complies as she leaves him to his business. After the war, Jasper was assigned to the original Yellow Diamond to serve. It, was a little hard for her to adjust. She was the most loyal subordinate to Pink Diamond, and now that she was gone, nothing could ever ease that pain. At least until Yellow Diamond promised her revenge. Earth was the very reason why her Diamond was gone. Earth was the sole reason why the proud race of gems had hit a slump in both culture and new gems. Earth was the reason why she was hurting so much on the inside. But Yellow Diamond promised recompence. She promised that Earth would get what it deserved. But now that she too was also gone, it was up to her to make sure the new Yellow Diamond fulfilled his dying "mother's" mission. It up to her to her to teach the future head of the court how to be tough, how to be ruthless, how, under no exceptions, should any mercy be done upon the earth.

Not only for the sake of his "mother", but for Homeworld, for her colony

For her Diamond.

The little Diamond just continued to walk along the halls of the big and vast ship. It had been awhile since he had been here. He only went to this room for one purpose: to remind himself of the mission.

As he makes his way towards the main cell, he spots another familiar gem. She was a tall one, with blue skin color and dark blue messy hair that reached a little way past the chin. She wore a long blue dress, with various shades of blue, thought the only thing that contrasted that was the yellow diamond in the middle of the outfit. She also had a small, tear like gem in the middle of the top half of her back, though on it was a big crack down it. Though, unlike the other two, she wasn't so enthusiastic to see him. In fact, she seemed nervous to look at him, as if the bags under her eyes were any indication. She seemed rather miserable.

"Greeting, my Diamond, how may I assist you today?" the lanky blue gem greeted as she bowed in fear.

The Diamond speaks indifferently. "How is the prisoner?"

The gem, known as Lapis, speaks out. "He hasn't said a word all day. He's completely silent. He didn't even try to fight me when I induced his daily nutritional shot. It's like he's finally relented."

"I see. Let me in, I wish to speak to him alone." The Diamond spoke with no infliction with what he was thinking. The Blue subordinate could only comply as she does what she is told.

The Diamond just walks in and dismisses the water Gem, who sighs in relief.

During one of their surveillance checks on the earth, they came across a mirror. Peridot picked it up, hoping that it contained information suitable to teach the young Diamond. When it didn't work, the young Diamond pulled out the Gem that was in the back, revealing it to be Lapis. She was grateful for her release, and willing to do anything for her savior. Since by know her place in Blue Diamond's court was gone, and seeing how willing she was to serve him, he kept her, not as the Lazuli she was though, she was more like a Pearl, a servant, a slave. That's how it's been for the last 6 to 7 years. She would say she was fine, but in truth, she didn't know how to feel. The young Diamond himself didn't do anything bad to her personally, in fact, he was rather ignorant of her presence, she understood that though, he's a leader after all. But the other two, they made her life almost unbearable. They treated her worse than a pearl, taunting her constantly about hoe the "mighty had fallen." She would never regret helping the one that saved her from her prison, but she wondered if it had been worth it.

* * *

Within the chambers came a hall full of various cells. Each one had an electric field around them, to stop any trapped Gems from escaping. They were all like that, except for one specific cell. The cell containing the only other human on board. He was in a write straight jacket and had a long, brown beard that was only matched by the hair growing on the back of his head. He just looked ahead, showing no clear expression or emotion, except for surprise. It was rare for the old man to see him around here.

"So, what are here for this time?" The prisoner said with a straight forward serious attitude.

"What's wrong? Can't a half carbon based life form meet half of his organic doaner?" The Diamond said plainly, if a little sarcasticly.

"Steven, you know that the word is "son" and "father" right? Or is the almighty Diamond too smart to learn the language of his own people?" His father snarked.

The little Diamond banged his fist on the wall outside of the cell. "Half" he emphised. "Half of my species is from Earth. My true people are the Gem's of Homeworld. I am Yellow Diamond! I am the future of my court! I am..."

"Oh, save the propaganda for the torture sessions. " His father interrupted. "You wouldn't have come hear just to brag about yourself to me, so again, what do you want?"

The Little Diamond lets out a little smirk before continuing. "You know, its funny. My Homeworld always hated earth since the war. They wanted nothing to do with it. My mother was the one who commissioned the Cluster in the first place. She wanted nothing more than to see this world nothing more then space dust floating aimlessly. But..." He then opens the cell and gets up close and personal to his father. "you just had to be one of the only few that weren't afraid of her. You showed her the true value of this planet. You showed her, the toughest, the greatess, and the most fierce leader of homeworld, that this planet had a future, in the hands of the Diamonds at least." The little Diamond laughs at the irony. "You did save the Earth father, saved it for Homeworld to use. How does it feel to know that you helped the greatest conquers of all time take over your home world?" He smiles wickedly at his father.

The man known as Greg Universe lashes out his response at that. "Steven! Your talking about war! It won't be like the first time around! The planet will fight back! Steven, lives are going to be lost, both human and Gem, and neither side can survive another Gem war for the planet! You don't have to be apart of this!" He pleaded

Steven angrily picks up his father before throwing him against the wall. "I don't have to be?! This war has been going on for much longer than you know, father! Thanks to you, I inherited this war, and by the will of the authority, and by the words of my mother, I will complete her task!" He calms down for a moment before continuing. "I know it won't be like the last time, father, that's why your going to help Homeworld once again." He smiles dasterly before setting him down.

"Why would I help you! I won't let you make the biggest mistake of your life son! Besides, how would you even get me to talk? I'm not afraid of you or homeworld." His father states.

"Oh, because you'll be doing this for your precious Steven Diamond Universe." He teases in a mocking tone. " And I may have had Peridot place a little truth serum in today's daily nutritional shot." He laughs at his own cleverness.

"You diiiii..." His father trails off as his eyes widen and his speech begins to slur. His expression is now completely blank.

"Good. Now I know where you came from, and I know that little colony you call home has something of value to Homeworld..." He smirks once again before regaining his serious composure. "So tell me, what is so special about Gravity Falls?"

* * *

 _Whoa, that is the most words I have ever written, and I bet the next one will probably be longer._

 _Thank you once again MiniJen for allowing this. I'll try to live up to your standards._

 _Next time, our pro, or rather, Antagonist meet, and lets just say the first encounter isn't all going to be hugs and rainbows._


	2. Diamonds and Magic pt1

**Wow. I can't believe how well received the first chapter was, just makes me that more grateful the Minijen approved it. Thanks to all that read that read and review, especially my fellow Universe falls writers** **SwapAUAnon** **,** **Comicfan97** **, and most of all, MiniJen.**

 **Greg a prisoner: Yeah, this to me was the best way to bring him in the story. The usual story in this Au was that Yellow Diamond either carried his child and left or took his DNA to make Steven. The idea to actually make him Homeworld's prisoner came from the fan made comic made by** Yasmim Louise **, please check out and support her comic, its really good. Anyways, I'd figure that I wanted Steven to know greg, but not have the same fatherly son bond he had in canon. He still loves his son, no doubt about it, but Steven, being Yellow Diamond's son, is not willing to give his father the chance, seeing any bond of love as unnecessary distractions.**

 **Steven's motivation: Now this was easier to come up with. In canon, Rose left Steven practically all her problems made from her choices and decisions made during the war, which motivates Steven to be himself as he tries to fix the mess on his own. So here, Yellow Diamond left Steven with the task of finishing the war, which motivates Steven to actually be more like his mother, cold, tactical, and demanding. Part of this is why Steven doesn't care for his father much, which will cause problems for him in the future.**

 **The twin's motivation: Now this was a little harder. I didn't know much about the Reverse Falls Au, much less about Reverse Ford and how the twins grew up, but when I read up on it and the personalities of Mabel and Dipper, I'd figured that they had to get like that somehow, and then came Ford. He inspired their greedy and rather evil nature, as well as give them money, power, e.t.c. Thus, the twins, more so Dipper, wish to fulfill his wishes out of hero worship and a rather unhealthy need of love, which will come back to bite them at times.**

 **Jasper, Peridot, and Lapis's relationship with Steven: Here, all they try to do is please Steven. For Peridot, its because she generally loved serving Yellow Diamond, and thus, loves serving Steven. For Jasper, its out of fear and the promise to make the Earth suffer. For Lapis, its out of gratitude for saving her life. Steven, being the Diamond he is, is rather oblivious to their efforts, though at times he will give them a little, barely if any, credit.**

 **I own nothing.**

* * *

On a normal day in the little town in the woods known as Gravity Falls, nothing out of the ordinary stood out, at least not to the naked, untrained eye. The people aimlessly walked into to town, going on with their normal lives during the summer day. If you were 6-14 years old, then you'd be spending your summer outside playing along and running off with all your little friends. If you were 15-18, then you were most likely a teenager either bored at their part time job, just waiting for the exact moment you got off work so you could run off with your friends and do something slightly irresponsible. And if you were one of the many adults that lived there, then you went to work with a smile on your face and an optimistic demeanor as you went off to fulfill your time with hard work at you full time job. But if you were any of these people, then you all had a naïve outlook on the life you lived, presuming that nothing bad or strange ever happened at all as you got through the day.

Or at least, that's what Dipper was able to observe as he took one good look at the town they had currently occupied in. They had been here for a good solid month before the summer started, yet neither him nor Mabel had really bothered to explore the new region. The last month had really been all about gaining the necessary funds to establish themselves in Gravity Falls, which was no problems. They were renown for being the niece and nephew of "Sorcerer Stanford" (the most commonly used stage name for their Great Uncle Stanford"), so little advertisement had to be made. But as great magic users they were, they hardly had to use any of the real thing because the town folk seemed to be interested with anything they claimed to be magic. In fact, all they had to do was "read" the minds of people and they literally through piles and piles of money at them. Dipper was baffled, yet content at this. While it confused him on how so many people can be that clueless, it was important for them to be like that. If they stayed like that, then they would have little to no problems actually accomplishing their goal. Though this mean they themselves had to be discreet about their powers. No showing off major or advance magic during shows, and definitely no using it in public.

Mabel, unfortunately did not get that message. During their last show, she decided to use her powers to summon some, rather unholy creatures. She walked up to the first row of the audience, claiming she was going to pull out one of nature's most magnificent creatures, only to call out a giant head with a giant arm that ended up eating one guys arm and a woman's leg in an attempt to eat them whole. The whole audience was scared off after that, leaving a happy Mabel giggling out of control on the ground, an irritated and hungry head chasing the audience, and a sighing Dipper completely annoyed at his sister's antics. Dipper usually ignored or played along with them, but as of late, he was starting to wonder if this was a problem to his Uncle's plan. Mabel would often go off the rail with her crazy plans, and while she may find it charming and fun, Dipper saw it as incompetence and immature.

Which is why he suddenly found himself staring out into the town for probably the first time since they got here. This place, this simple town had so much more to it than what human mind could even comprehend. So much secrecy, but so much power beyond it. And he was determined to grab it all. Nothing would get in his way, absolutely nothing.

Mabel, meanwhile was still going shaking off the last of her giggles as she walked up to her now brooding brother. Her face softens up as she came closer. In the orphanage, it was tough for both of them, no doubt about it. Yes, it was why they were so power hungry, and yes, it was why she enjoyed the pain and suffering of others. But when they were there, Mabel still found a way to enjoy herself. Whenever someone picked on her or her brother, she wrote all their names down in her revenge journal so that she could always remember exactly who to torment and possibly drive insane. In fact, she managed to get fifty revenges down before she left with Great Uncle Stanford. There was that thirteen-year-old who splattered her face with spaghetti. She got her revenge by going into her room and stuffing spaghetti down her throat in her sleep, nearly suffocating her. Then there was the 16 boy who dunked her brother's head in the toilet, she got her revenge by rigging the pipes so that the next time he went, the entire room flooded with toilet water. And then there was the time the staff confiscated the fireworks on the fourth of July. Let's just say after that, the children weren't the only ones in need of a new home.

Mabel may had been able to adjust to those circumstances, but Dipper wasn't, he was always the main target of pain and ridicule there, and Mabel knows that deep down, it broke him. That's why she must be strong for her brother, that's why she must keep acting like this know. To show him that you can have fun when everything's serious. But right now, he first had to open up a little and show a little trust. They had made a pact to stay strong together, but if they keep being like this, they will fall apart, alone.

"Yo, short, light and ugly, whatcha brooding about?" Mabel approached her male counterpart joke fully, to which he just rolled his eyes at.

"Dear sister, do you know why I'm mad right now?" He said with slight disdain.

"Because your sense of humor is completely lame and your sense of seriousness is making you a literal killjoy?" She answered with a smirk.

"No, and stop calling me a killjoy! I'm not a killjoy!" He lashes back. He absolutely hated being called that, and Mabel knew it.

"Find, whatever helps you sleep at night, Mas.." she started before Dipper covered her mouth with his hand,

"Don't you say that name again!" He sternly stated, making it clear he would go to drastic measures to stop her. She simply rolls her eyes as he removes his hand. He goes on and continues. "I'm mad for two reasons Mabel. One, because you decided to show off and summon monsters. Mabel, it's important that no one finds out how weird this town really is, or else you we wont be able to do our job!" He screamed.

"Relax, D-bro, those idiots are to simple minded to truly comprehend what we're really doing. They thought that Giant head was just special affects gone wrong. Besides, if anyone does find out, wwe can always just "eliminate" the problem." She smirks as she raised her flaming blue hand in the air, only for it to unexpectedly go out. She gets confused and a little worried. "Whaa? How, what just happen?"

"This is the other thing, dear sister, you used up so much magic in that show that its leaving your body." Dipper explained. "This is what I meant about our Powers being a fraction of what they could be, Mabel. They are finite. Unless we can find a medium…."

"A what!?" She said confused. She may not be the scatterbrain she once was, but that doesn't mean she was a total genius either.

"It's like a lightning rod for magic! Seriously Mabel, pay attention! With the we've been using our powers, it's only a matter of time until we lose them completely!" Dipper announces at the top of his lungs. "With the right medium, we'll be able to keep out powers, as well as gain a subsequent power boost."

"Fine, fine, I get it, we need to find a medium to gather more magic, but where are we going to find one? I highly doubt that a dime store play wand is going to be enough."

"Don't you worry, dear sister. Unlike some people, I've done more than take our dear Great Uncle's advice and lessons." He smirks as he reaches the insides of his jacket. He then pulls out a large, rusty, worn, red book with a golden hand and a large black 2 on it. "I had figured we would run into this problem eventually, so I've been studying his journal for weeks." He turns the pages, revealing a plethora of ancient spells, information on various mythological spells, and one for an elf's official cookie recipe. He finally turns to the page he was seeking, which portrayed a blue, dazzling gem on it.

"This here sister, is a specialized levitation amulet. Made by a specialize crystal from the stars, it allows one to expand open the power of the mind and manipulate the physical plain from the mental state." He said elated, although he frowns at the confused face Mabel was giving him, clearly not understanding a single world that he was saying. "It allows you to move stuff with your mind." He clarifies, much to the to his ire.

Mabel just lets out a face of excitement. "Why didn't you say so in the first place?" She continues to ignore her brother's constant sighing. "So, where do where find that fancy necklace?"

"Amulet, Mabel, it's called an Amulet." He corrects. "As for its location, the writings are a little vague, but I do believe that the location of the amulet are right about there." He points to the hilltop in the south west direction, were right was a statue of a multiarmed woman.

"How exactly did we miss that when we came into town?" Was the only thing Mabel could say as they both started to make their way to the rusty statue.

Little they knew, that someone was also searching for what they sought.

* * *

"Set a course for these exact coordinates, I wish to inspect this area personally." The young Diamond demanded as he sat in his little control chair." It had been about two hours since he interrogated his father, and the results from that were more than he could hope for. To think, such power, such potiential for the authority, was almost lost if his mother never met his father. To think, that a pile of flesh like him was useful. He had to give the real credit to his mother though. She was the one who decided that earth was indeed of use for Homeworld, and it was her that set out this course for him. All Steven had to do know was fulfill. So many artifacts lost from Gem culture were there, and that wasn't even getting into the real power that lied beneath the surface of this "Gravity Falls." _Humans can be so ridiculous at times._ _"_ he thought.

"Uh, are you sure, my Diamond, because this place doesn't seem like the place to settle down in." The lanky green gem wondered. Unfortunately, she failed to realize what she just did a little too late. She tried to take it back, but not before he got up and began to squeeze her are. The sheer strength in his left arm alone was enough to make dents into the metal limb.

"Are you questioning my judgement? You know what happens when smart nosed gems like yourself get to big for their Gems, don't you?" He threatens as her squeezes even harder. Peridot begins to wince in pain as she sweats nervously. She had to choose these next words wisely because if she said anything that made her look insulting or incompetent, she would be shattered for sure.

"NO-NO! Not at all, my Diamond! I-i-I was just worried that the surface wouldn't be satisfactory to your needs! I mean, we don't want the future ruler of our court to waste his time on some random muddy land for no reason, right my Diamond?" She nervously explained herself, hoping that her Diamond would pardon her from this one mistake.

Luckly, she either sounded sincere enough, or the little Diamond didn't care at the moment, but for whatever reason, he loosened his grip and let go of the shivering technician. She could only stare at the indentions as he walked back towards his seat.

"For your information, Peridot, this specific muddy pile of terrain just so happens to carry some of the most dangerous and most sought out power in the world, not to mention some intriguing Gem artifacts from the war." He said with a slight smile. "That power belongs to the authority, and I won't let some lucky pile of fleshy mass just grab ahold of it while I set around in space!"

"But, but my Diamond, our job here is to just surveil the earth for potential resources and maybe a future colony." She argued. She didn't like it, but she just had to question exactly what the little ruler was getting at.

"My mother, the real Yellow Diamond," He gets quiet for a moment, not sure how to feel about saying that part, "only spared the earth because that power exists. She wanted it for the glory of Homeworld. Now that job is up to me to fulfill. The mission has changed, Peridot. We are going down to earth, and we are going to fulfill the last wish of Yellow Diamond! We will take the Earth, for all the colonies that have fallen, for homeworld to thrive, for the honor of Yellow Diamond!" He proclaimed.

Peridot was speechless. She wanted to tell him that was too much for him to handle, but the way he spoke, the way he gestured, the demand in his voice. It was just like Yellow Diamond's. His speech, his movement, his motivation, it, it, she couldn't describe it. To her, it was one of the most beautiful things that she has ever heard. Nothing could compare to what she had just heard. She started to tear up a little, feeling pride in the little Gem.

The little Diamond saw this, and just gave out a confuse hm. "Are you crying?" He asked seriously, indicating that he did not want to see any tears shown.

This just flusters the yellow heard Gem, "Of, of, of course not, my Diamond!" She shouted as she struggled to regain her composure. "The, the atmosphere of the planet is getting in to the ship! There must simply be too much dust coming in." She lamely explains once again. And fortunately for her, Steven seems to dismiss it as nothing.

"Fine. Carry on with your duties, and I will meet you on the ground with the other two. He says as he gets up from his chair and leaves.

"Yes, as you wish, my, my, hey where are you going!?" She shouts as she tries to follow him. Steven just turns around to stop her.

"I looked into some readings, and a certain power source is starting to act up on the scanners." He shows off a little device to Peridot before putting it away. "I have a hunch as to what it is, and if I can find it, I can move on without mission quickly and effectively." He plainly states as he makes his way to the middle of a large room, stomping on a certain switch on the floor and popping up a little ship pod. "I'm going to investigate it before something or someone finds it first."

"But, but, are you at least going to take the Jasper with you? Not that your capable of defending yourself, but…."

"No buts, Peridot!" He snaps, getting her to silence herself. "This needs to be as discreet as possible, and taking that giant puff of hair isn't exactly going to help keep things quiet. So, I am going on my own, end of the story." He states as he enters the pod and blast off towards his destination.

"I just hope you find what you need." Peridot whispered as she went back to the control room.

Little they knew, they were about to meet up with fate.

* * *

The trip over to the temple was nothing to brag about. They decided, since they didn't want to attract attention, to simply walk over to their destination, much to the complaining and ire of Mabel. The both of them bored walk through the town of the simple-minded people, who would give them big stares when they walked by. Dipper simply ignored them, not feeling in the mood for point adoration, but Mabel simply relished in it. She was more than happy to give out autographs, pictures and phone numbers to her various fans. In fact, at one point during the walk, a couple of boys around her age tried to walk up to her. They were all nervous, shaking and stuttering, like it was their first time seeing someone of the opposite sex that attractive. Before anyone of them could say a thing, Mable blew a small kiss to the crowd of boys, who them immediately started to fight over it like it was the real deal. This left one happy Mabel. She often flirted with any admirers, not because she really liked them or sought a significant other, but because she saw their pathetic attempts mildly amusing. What made it more amusing was reeling them in and then, at the last moment, crushing their hearts until they were nothing but a baby crying for mommy. This was one of the few things Dipper actually found amusing, mostly because he didn't like the idea of any mere boy with his sister.

"Sister, you'd make an excellent black widow, you know." Dipper knowingly smirked as they made their way to the woods.

"I'd know, did you see the love sickness dripping from their faces, ewww." She pretends gagged as she stuck out her tongue. "As if I'd actually let them near me. I ain't looking for anyone desperate sap you know. If I ever find someone, he'd better be just as strong as me, and twice as good looking, because nobody can handle this." She brags as she points to herself, leaving Dipper to playfully role his eyes.

"Ha, as if. Nobody can compare to us, dear sister, and as if any of us have the time for such menial things when global power is involved."

"Ha, like you haven't given it a thought, brother. Don't think I haven't seen you steal glances from that red head." She teased as Dipper almost lost his footing in embarrassment.

"I-, I have no idea what you're talking about." He simply states as he tries to hide the blush that he was now carrying. Mabel just continued to laugh at his expense. Dipper would've defended himself a little more if he didn't suddenly hear something.

"Shhh!" he hushes, stopping Mabel in the middle of her tease.

"Geez, no need to get all weird about it, you know?" She says, only to be met with another shush. "Seriously, when you do this kind of thing, people start to get the idea that….." she is met with another shush. Before she could respond to that, Dipper speaks.

"Get down." He orders.

"What?" she says as she finally notices something in the sky, A small green dot was speeding towards them, and it showed no signs of slowing down.

"Get down!" He says as he grabs Mabel and pulls her down to the ground, with his body covering her. They looked over their respective shoulders to see what had nearly crushed them to a bloody pulp. They saw a big, almost as big as a boulder, size ship and not only that, it had begun to move with some kinds floating legs. They didn't seem to function properly though, as they started to lean to the left, then to the right, and then to the left again until it crashed to the side of the hill and stopped moving.

"Quick, before it gets up, lets go!" The frantic sister said as she tried to move her brother, who didn't really seem that fazed. In fact, he had a rather curious look on his face before speaking.

"Wait, this could be something important Lets wait and see what happens." He calmly says as he watches steam come out of the Pod. It was about to open.

Now Mabel wasn't afraid, even without most of her powers she was confident in her own abilities to handle anything dangerous. But that didn't stop her from being slightly weary. She also had looked into the journal, and saw some of the more unsavory monsters. This could be a Gremoblin for all she knew, or an evil wizard trying to take the amulets as well, or, or...

"Ahhhh" a voice emerged from the pod a figure came out from it. It came out, revealing a boy, slightly shorter than them, maybe even a year younger as well. He was wearing what appeared to be an all yellow royal attire, and had three sharp spikes of hair at the front of his head. What was most peculiar about him, aside from the large Diamond in his chest, was the pupils of his eyes. They where in the exact shape of Diamonds.

Overall, Mabel thought the boy was really, really cute.

"Stupid inane machine, why I ought to shatter the gem responsible for crafting such unsophisticated works of technology." He said irritably as he kicked it out of anger. He turned around to finally acknowledge the two siblings staring at him. The male had a look of disbelief, like he was expecting something more. And the female, well he couldn't tell what the girl was thinking, mostly because the girl's face had turned red and she was facing the other way.

"What do you want? I'm trying to do something important here." He sternly states. "State your business and explain why you are in my way." The little Homeworld leader demanded.

Dipper was taken back by the amount of sass coming from the kid, though this did not stop him from snapping back. He was not about to be disrespected by some punk of a kid with an ego. "What?! Us in your way!? You literally just almost crushed us! What's your deal!?"

"Hey, it not my fault that this heap of scrap malfunctioned. All I did was connect this tracker" he held up the device he was carrying around. "to my ship's sensors, and for some inane reason, it tracked on to you two!" He shouted as he waved his arms. Though he did not expect the rather rude adolescent to swipe the device from his bare hands. "Hey! give that back you, you, you meat thug!" He whines as he reaches for the devices. Dipper being the jerk he was, just holds it overhead as he teased the little tyrant and tried to study the device.

"What is this thing, seriously, I have never seen.." he analyzes as he inspects it.

The little Yellow ruler does not take kindly to that. "I said, give, it, BACK!" He screamed as he forces out his hand and shoves the brotherly twin with all of his strength, which actually launches him two feet of the ground, and into the hill, right next to the Pod. He winces as he tries to pry himself from the rock, as he was really imbedded into it.

The device dropped to where he once stood. The little Diamond went to grab it, only for it to meet the hand of the other twin. She immedietly took back her hand, blushing furiously once again. The little Diamond, for once did not know how to feel. Something was clearly on the mind of the female when they touched, but he could not see any significance in the brief moment that their hands touched. Maybe she was allergic to other hands?

Finally, Mabel was able to stop blushing, and quickly bowed. "My apologies, my brother here has a hard time respecting people who are clearly superior to him, allow me to make amends." She buttered up to him with a rather flirtatious tone.

Steven, of course, did not see it as he gave out a little smile as he spoke. "Why thank you. You must be the first human I have ever encountered that gave me the proper greeting. What is your name, oh respectful one?

Mabel let out a small chuckle. This guy was way too cute when he tried to act like an adult. "I am Mabel Pines, and the idiot you put in the wall right there is my brother, Dipper." she smiled as she heard the groaning of her brother. He had finally pried himself from the rock, when he notice a faint but noticeable blue glow from the little cracks he he. He goes to inspect it.

"A pleasure to meet you Mabel. I am Yellow Diamond of Homeworld, though if we are going to use earth names, I guess you can call me Steven."

Steven. So that was his name. On the inside, she was screaming with excitement. Whoever he really was, he was clearly her type. Tough, check. Strong, check. Willing to cause pain to others, double check. But for know, she had to play it cool. If this was going to be more than a random flirt, then she couldn't just scare him off. "Cool, its an honor to meet you." Nailed it. "So what is with that device?"

"Oh this?" he said when he finally picked it up. "Its a tracker. I'm currently in the middle of a mission, and that tracker is the only way for me to find what I seek." He takes a good look at it. "Strange, it says its right here, but, i'm not seeing...

"Looking for this?" Both turn around to see Dipper, with a bright blue aurora and, somehow, floating off the ground. In his right had was a blue gem like rock. "Look dear sister, I've found what we've sought, and now," he wickedly smiles as he uses his new found power to grab ahold of the yellow tyrant. "I think a test run is in order.

Mabel was in shock, not because Dipper was at the moment going crazy with power, that was normal, but because he was about to crush her potential new, well, crush. But before she could offer any outburst, Steven just looks at him with an equally wicked smile. "I couldn't agree more." He simply state as he closes his eyes. Then, a bright beam of lightning shoots out of the diamond on his chest. Due to the crystal, it zig-zags all over, but it eventually hits the floating boy, causing him to scream in pain as he drops the blue rock. The both fall down, with Dipper on his back and Steven on his feet. "Ah ha!" he shouts in triumph. "Finally, I can..."

blast. A bright blue ball of fire shoots as his hand, causing him to let go as he winces in pain.

Dipper, being the source of the attack, stands in some kind of fighting stance. "I don't know who you are, or how you did that, but I'm not going to let some little brat with a superiority complex take what's rightfully mind." He says as both of his hands light up in blue flame.

The little Diamond just laughs at this. "Hehe. A little worm baby like you thinks he can take on the power of a Diamond?" He then summons some sort of trident from his chest as he stands in his own stance. "Very well. Prepare to meet your end!" He shouts as both boys come to clash.

All the while Mabel watches in disbelief. "Boys, go fig."

* * *

Now this was really fun to write, especially the moments with Peridot and Mabel with Steven.

Next time, the two fight it out as something a little more dangerous, corrupted, and purple comes towards them.


	3. Diamonds and magic pt2

**Hey everyone, I'm back to updating this story again. So glad everyone liked the Mabel crushing on Steven part. It's my favorite crossover ship, and I'm happy to bring it to life here. And especially thanks to minijen for noticing my little own little plot build up. Like I said in the first chapter, this will strive further away from canon then UF or its other AUs, and I hope once the overall plot is revealed, everyone will be surprised and satisfied.**

 **Mabel's crush: Yeah, for the most part, its going to be very one sided. Don't worry, Steven, occasionally at times will notice and slightly recuperate her feelings. At most, he respects her rather straight forward and demanding behavior and manipulative mind. As for them eventually being together, we'll have to wait and see.**

 **Steven and Dipper rivalry: That may have been my favorite part to write about in this chapter. Yeah, both are pretty single minded when it comes to their respective goals, so be prepared for them to butt heads a lot down the line.**

 **I own nothing**

* * *

Thump. Thump. Thump.

That was all she could hear. She couldn't see anything else, she couldn't even think clearly. For so many years, her mind has been one jumbled mess. She couldn't keep any thoughts straight. And any time she tried to focus, it felt as if her mind was going to split apart.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

There was that noise again. It didn't bother her though. After so many years of complete silence, a little noise was welcomed. She swore that it didn't use to be like this, though. Sometimes, for no reason whatsoever, she would imagine what the outside world was like. She imagined a dark place. It was, rocky, and dark, and barren. It was devoid of life and color, but she vividly remembered every inch, every rock, every whole, especially the she came out of, or at least, she thought she came out of one.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

She often thought of that place, imagining how alone it was, how cramped and trapped she felt. Them at times, when she let her mind drift, she would see an image of pink. It was tall, strong, but very calming. The pink would care for her, make her feel secure, make her feel, not alone. It would protect her always, provide for her, giving her feelings of fun, joy, and overall, pure happiness.

But often when she thought of the pink, she would think of something else, something stronger, bigger, and more threatening.

She would think of the yellow.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The yellow, oh how sinister it was, it's foreboding presence, it's apathic expressions, it's powerful aurora, the yellow always gave off a sense of dread and doom. And when she thought off the yellow, she always imagined her dominance. She would always picture the wicked smile on its face when it came towards the pink, how the yellow overpowered the pink. How valiantly the pink fought as the pink avoided the yellow's attack.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

No matter what the pink did, no matter how smart, how fast, of how strong the pink was, the pink would always lose. The yellow would always beat the pink, crush the pink….

The yellow would always break her.

That always sent her in a frenzy whenever she thought that, whenever she imagined that terrible scene. She wanted to do something about it, to go after the yellow, to crush the yellow the same way the yellow crushed the pink. She swore on it, she swore she would avenge the one that cared for her.

. THU…

POP. pop. pop. pop. pop. pop

Apparently, she was about to get her wish sooner than she thought.

* * *

 _About ten minutes before…_

All that thumping was actually the sound of our two-male protagonist fight it out. The two them a fiery passion for power and conquest, so neither of them were about to let up. For Dipper, it was one of the few times he has ever used his magic in battle. He had learned everything about his power from Great uncle Stanford. While Mabel used her powers all willy nilly, Dipper had a precise comprehension and understanding of his own. He knew all of his power's strengths and weaknesses, but most importantly, he kept in mind on of his Great Uncle's greatest lessons." _Magic is all about the state of your mind,_ _Dipper. That's why you must be disciplined! You must not let anything cloud your mind. The sharper you are, the more effective and deadly your power will be."_

For Steven, this was nothing new two him. For years he has watched multiple recording of every battle, every conquest, and every war Homeworld has ever been in. With Peridot, he had memorized and learned all tactics used by Homeworld, and with Jasper, he had learned how to be effective in combat, how to fight, no, even more than that, how to completely conquer your enemies, and especially, how to break them. " _You are a Diamond. You are not bound by the flaws of your subjects or enemies."_ Peridot once told him. _"You are a strong, forceful leader with a iron fist. You let nothing get in your way, let nothing to chance, and never let anything ever stop you for achieving you objective._

Steven was vigilant, blow by blow came from Dipper, as he shot out fireball after fireball. With every shot made, the little Diamond showed off his prowess with the trident by using it to bloke every attack. Dipper, getting frustrated, summoned a gigantic fireball over his head, before throwing it with all his might. Steven looked straight at the mighty flame, as if it was nothing. "Pathetic." He muttered as he ran right at the fire ball, and jumped right into it. Dipper smirked, thinking that he had one. "Idiot." He smiled triumphantly, before witnessing the boy emerges as a phoenix from the ashes, and shove him into the ground. "You think your little flare balls can harm me?" He sternly gazed at the male twin. "I've been exposed to temperatures hot enough to melt pure rock, your attacks are nothing more than a minor sun tan."

Dipper did not let this falter him. Quickly getting back up, he raises his hands. "I say, you do have strength, and you are more durable than you look." He admits, before waving he hand at a nearby tree, causing it to be enveloped in a bright yellow glow. "But how long can that last when its up against true power?" He nags as the tree grew mightier, the branches suddenly becoming more and more arm like. Soon, Dipper's hands start to admit the same yellow glow, as he reached out to grab what was only air. And at the exact same time, the tree copied his exact movements, grabbing on to the little tyrant. Steven struggled to gain freedom. The wood from the giant arm was pressing to much on his Gem to allow him to do anything, and he had no movement from his arms at all.

Soon the little Pines boy walked up to him. He felt rather proud of himself for handling this situation relatively fast. "Not so strong now, are you?" He smugly said, when caused Steven to struggle for freedom all the more. "Don't bother, everything that happens to my arm, happens to that tree, and as long as I have my grip on tight, you'll be stuck in their for as long as I say so." He bragged on, as he saw the look of anger on the little Diamond's face. "Let's give it a little taste test, shall we?" He mocked as he motioned the wooden arm towards the mountain side, smacking it , along with Steven, into the mountain. It takes all the will of the Diamond to not scream in pain as various bruises and scrapes appear on his face. "It is as my mentor once told me, "Those who you can't fight directly, you must fight indirectly.", and with my brains and magic, I'd say this match was over the moment you decided to land near my presence, you little defect."

That really got Steven's blood boiling. Who was this, this, freak of a flesh bag to call him defective?! That was like a Peridot calling a Diamond a clod, unbelievable, and punishable by execution. He struggled with all his might to gain freedom, but it was no use. The Diamond kept thinking about how humiliating this really was. Nobody on Homeworld would ever see him as the Diamond he was if they saw him in such a compromising position. Oh, if if only he didn't get so distracted earlier with...

Ding. That's it!

"Your mentor told you this, huh? If that is the case, then your even weaker than you appear"

Pause. Dipper's grip slowly gets tighter unknowingly, causing the little Diamond to wince a little, not that he mind. If the plan worked, then this pain would be small compared to what he was about to dish out.

"That's right, you heard me correctly. I've seen plenty of your kind before. Smart, cunning, with a, passible amount of power. But you lack in actual strength. Without all your power, your nothing but helpless to defend yourself."

Dipper says nothing as his grip actually gets tighter. A vain shows up on the top of his head, looking like it was about to pop. He grinded his teeth as he foolishly decides to hear out the rest of the Diamond's rant.

"Your so weak that you don't even have the gull to take me on one on one. You use your "magic" to fight for you. "I've seen real power, real creatures with real strength, and you'd be like a filthy rag compared to even the weakest of them."

"Enough!" Dipper says as his eyes begin to glow yellow as well. He uses his power to repeatedly slam Steven into the wall several times. Thunderous thumps echoed through the hill as the face of the wall began to crack. Various crack appear along the wooden arm, as Dipper's began to get sore.

"Dipper, enough! Let him go!" Mabel said, finally intervening. She watched in annoyance and amusement as the battle unfolded. This was the first time she had seen her brother fight something so had on, so of course she had to watch that. Plus, not that she would admit it, but she thought it was totally hot seeing the little diamond fight. His strength, agility, and completely stone like nature in battle, made her bleed slightly from the nose. But now, he was taking it to far. She was the crazy one who tortured people. If anyone had the right to harm her knew potential boyfriend to be, it was her.

Dipper would have ignored his sister's advice, but he saw that he was going a little to crazy with it. Seeing the bruised and battered face of the boy made noticed he was wasting all of his power on one guy, when he had the power to waste entire cities. Whoever this punk was, he definitely was not worth.

But Steven was not done. Seeing his opportunity, Steven let out one last insult.

"And if everything that I have witnessed is from your mentor, then he must be a senile old fool who's probably rolling in his grave..."

Dipper turned around. His eyes were now glowing blood red. His palms were sweating as he screeched. "AHHHHHHH" He screamed as he used all of his might to finally beat the little brat into the wall one final time.

Snap.

As soon as that wood hit the rock, it splintered into thousands and thousands of pieces, shattering from the sheer force of the punch. The earlier hits had soften the wood, make it weaker with every impact. Steven figured that the wood wouldn't be strong enough to handle the sturdiness of the mountain, so he endured the all that pain just to be freed. But as he arose from his triumph, he smiled at another sight,

"Ahhgghghgh!" The Pines boy screamed in pain. As soon as the tree arm broke, his arm too, also broke, shattering the bone on the inside. Mabel comforted her brother, having memories of how often others hurt him at the orphanage. But Dipper paid no heed to her attempt. Instead he tried to push through the pain as he held up his right arm, making sure not to move it wrong. He angrily scowled at the little Diamond as he begun a smug little rant. B

"Another thing about your kind of people, they often tend to be emotional, and unbalanced, aka, weak." He chuckeled as he went up to Dipper and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. Mabel was unsure of what to do at the moment, at least until she saw something blue glowing at the corner of her eye. Steven continued to talk down to Dipper. "Your kind also has a knack for explaning your plans and ideas. You should've never told me about the workings of the spell, and now, you will go down, knowing that your own ego was to blame. Who's the defect now?" Steven sneers as he throws Dipper on his side, leaving the blue suited bot groaning in pain. Steven pulls out his trident as he raises it right above Dipper. "Any last word's, human?" He mocks.

"Yeah, you can...

"Whoa, time out already!" yelled the female twin as they a bright blue aurora surrounds the two boys, freezing them in place as they float about an inch above the air. They turn to see the face of Mabel, having seized the amulet as the two were fighting. "Seriously, I get that we're all trying to gain power, and that we're willing to do anything to get it, but aren't you guys being a little dramatic?" She exclaims, expecting the two boys to realize what they had done. But what none of them notice were the various cracks made in the rock of the mountain, or the various roars and poundings coming from the other side.

Dipper says nothing as he angrily glances away from the both of them, while Steven has no emotion expressed on his face at all.

"Honestly, this is pretty tame for what my kind usually does. I believe we did whatever anyone in our position would have done." Steven simply states.

Both twins stare at the kid with dumbfound expressions. "Really?" They both state in unison as they share the same disbelief. Finally, Mabel let go of her of her grip on the two boys, who immediately try to fight each other again. "Hey! I still have the amulet, you know, and unless you idiots stop fighting, none of us are going to get what we want!" Mabel declares, rolling her eyes at their eagerness to fight again. Dipper reluctantly backs away as he holds up his arm, as Steven stands still where he is, with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Okay, before we go back to fighting over power, why don't we first learn about each other and why we want this particular thing." Mabel suggested. Steven contemplated this. On one hand, he could just zap the girl with his powers and run back to the ship where he could order an airstrike to eliminate them both, but on the other hand, the female had a level of commandment that he couldn't help but admire.

"Fine, you have earned my respect, for now." Steven states, causing the female twin to blush a little." As I have stated before, I am Yellow Diamond of the Gem Homeworld."

"Gems? Like that one on your chest?" Mabel curiously questioned.

"Yes. My kind is a conquering empire that have existed for almost as long the stars burn bright. Our goal, to expand our rule to the entire galaxy, find suitable planets to colonize, and repeat." Steven lectures with a smile, proud of his kind's history.

"So that's your goal? To colonize the planet for you people?" Dipper now questioned, wondering if this might be a threat to his family's plan.

"Oh, no. If we were, than this planet would've already have been destroyed a millennia ago." Steven dismissed. "I have something, special planned for the earth, but I can't reach that goal until I gain the power that spreads through this town." He emphasis, pointing at the amulet. "Starting with that amulet."

"Why? You already have a lot of power, enough to kick my brother's at least butt, which to be honest doesn't take very much." Mabel smirks, ignoring the glare that her brother was giving her.

"I appreciate your sentiment, but what I require can't be done by my power alone. That amulet belonged to my people as a weapon of war, but it looks like whatever makes this place special enhanced its power greatly." Steven says with a slight irk in his voice, moving closer to the girl. "And I'm not going to let anything stand in my way." He quickly snatches away the amulet from her hand as he makes his way towards his ship.

"Wait," Mabel cries out. "maybe we can work together. Your goal seem to align with ours. We're after the power too, so maybe we can be all.." she tries to suggest, but not before Steven enters his little pod and starts up the engine.

"I'm a Diamond, you mortal fool. I don't work with subordinates, I command them." The pod begins to float as he gloats. "And anyone who stands in my way will be...

smack

roar.

smack

The little Diamond doesn't even get to finish his threat as his ship is smacked down the mountain. With all the poundings made in the rock, it weakened it enough to let out whatever it was on the inside. Coming out were various creatures, hideous, deformed creatures of various shapes, sizes, and colors. Some had various spikes surrounding there bodies. Some were more animalistic. And others seemed to be random and various body parts. But what seemed to be the head of them all was a 7 foot creature standing on all fours. It was purple with various white stripes all over her body. It had no eyes, but a large mouth with various rows of teeth. It had long flowing, light purple hair. It menacing roared as it charged at the two twins. All they could was think of one thing.

"RUN!" They screamed as the raced to the bottom as all the monsters behind them charged down below. Faster and faster they ran, not wanting to waste one second to look back. They ran, scraping their legs on various occasions and even tripping from time to time, which did little to help Dipper's arm. But despite the pain they ran. Then, from the corner of their eyes, they spotted a familiar green pod, somehow still intact. They did waste time to wonder the how's and whys as they ducked behind it, waiting for all the creatures to run past them. Finally, once the cost was clear, Dipper inspected the front of the pod, and sure enough, the little Diamond was on the outside, having been pushed out from the impact of monster. They inspected his bruised and bloody body as they saw one thing in particular. The amulet, was still in his hand, still having a strong grip on it even in unconsciousness. Mabel watches in slight sadness, finding it hard to find the boy she was still considering being her new crush hurt. Dipper, however, had no such feelings as he snatches up the amulet.

"Finally, we have it, now we can go home." Dipper happily states as he begins to turn the other away, though Mabel holds on to his shoulder, stopping him.

"Wait, we, we can't just leave him here like that, we need him." Mabel states, prompting Dipper to role his eyes.

"Mabel, just because you have a new crush doesn't make him vital to out plans."

"I-I. I don't have a crush!" She defends herself a little to loudly. "I, I, I just think he's important to hold on to for now! You heard what he said about his people. Dipper, for pete's sake, his an alien! Apart of a race that's conquered world's! Your not the least bit interested in the opportunities that this might allow us? We could learn so much more is we are his allies, gain access to stuff, weapons, secrets, resources that we can't get on our own!"

Dipper contemplated this. While still holding on to his argument that Mabel was head over heels with the little tyrant, she brought up good points. Plus, it would help to keep an eye on him, to make sure he was not a threat to them or their Great Uncle's Plan. But, even then,,

"Dipper, come on, he's the only one that could possibly know how to take on, those, those, those whatever they are!" Dipper raises his brow at that assumption. "Did you see those monsters, brother?! They all had gemstones in their bodies, just like he does! There has to be some kind of connection to them! At the very least, he could help us take on those monsters, because I barely have any magic left, and you can't concentrate with that busted arm, and I'm pretty sure that completing our Great Uncle's task will be impossible if this town is full of monsters, well, more monsters than it already has." She points out, making Dipper sigh in reluctance.

"Fine, dear sister, you win this round for now." He scowls as he takes a look at the boy, before grasping the amulet. "But we're going to have to regroup to get fixed up." He says as he, his sister, and the unconscious space kid are enveloped in a blue light, slowly floating away towards their destination.

And all the while, the giant purple monster followed them. For something that didn't have any eyes, she could see quiet well. She saw three things that she could make out. Two blue things. They seem pretty similar, but somehow, different in a way, She wasn't sure she like them, sensing enmity and distrust in them. And then, there was something that she thought she would never see again. It may have been smaller, but she could tell, it was it. The thing that haunted her dreams. The thing that always tormented her mind, always gave her the feeling of doom and despair. The things that took away the pink.

The Yellow.

Faster and faster, she followed them, not letting up, not willing to let them go. This was the chance that she was waiting for years to come. Finally she would have her chance. Finally, she would have her revenge.

Finally, she would destroy they Yellow.

* * *

Back at the side of the mountain, three prominent figures show up. The fist one was tall, about six, maybe 7 feet tall. She had hair in the exact shape of a box, though tuffs of hair stuck out of it messily. She had bright red, almost violet like skin, with dark shades of clothing to match, although it appeared as various tears were all around it. She had three eyes, one read, one blue, and one purple. The second one was also tall, though not as much as the first. She had pure white skin, with hair short hair that seemed to drop down. She had a full on yellow and light blue body suit that had no tears in it. The most interesting part of her however, was the fact that half of her right arm was missing. The there was the third. She was young with dark skin, clearly human. She had straight black hair that reached to her shoulders, and she wore red glasses. Her arms and legs were covered in sports tape, while the rest of her body was covered in a torn, almost loincloth like garment. In the back, she carried a long, pink saber sword. All three were standing at the giant whole in the wall, as well as the few things that were minssing.

"How many are gone?" The white one asked somberly, though it wasn't shown do to how serious her expression was.

"About 15 of them. They were all popped by whatever cracked the wall. That freed the gems inside the bubbles, which allowed them to crash through the weaken rock." The reddish figure said, devoid of emotion or tact.

"Then there is no use wasting time here, we got gems to poof." The little girl seriously stated as she made her way down the mountain. The two older beings likewise followed suit to accomplish their goal. They had fought for years to keep the town safe from their own kind, and they weren't about to let this stop them. They were the crystal Gems, they always save the day.

And to those that tried to stop them, they would surely pay.

* * *

 _Haha, finally got this down, I thought I'd never get this out_

 _Next time, our main cast prepares to take on the monsters while a certain team of rebels try to oppose them._


	4. Diamonds and magic pt3

**Hey everyone, thank you for following the story thus far. Honestly, this was supposed to come out maybe Friday, but with some, developments going on at home,, I was able to find the time to write this all day Tuesday. This here is the end of the Diamonds and magic chapters, and it was so great to write. I think the longer it takes me to write something, the more fun I have writing it down. Now this will also be the last chapter for Reverse Diamond Falls I'll write before going away for the next three weeks, so this or any other stories wont be updated for the month of July.**

 **Amethyst corrupted: Once again, this idea goes to Minijen. Her character was surprisingly more fun to write than I thought. I based her thinking off of what Steven said to Peridot in Kindergarten Kid. She's intelligent, in her own way, not a complete mindless monster, which will show up more than once as the story progresses.**

 **Crystal Gems and Connie: Full warning, they wont show up much here as I originally wanted to. Its just that I wanted this to be the final chapter of this part of the story, and it would've been pointless and dragged on if I had added them. Don't worry, next chapter they will have a more prominent role.**

 **I own nothing**

* * *

Pain. That was what they were feeling. Full, agonizing pain.

It wasn't like the three kids were new to the sensation. Oh no, they were all too familiar with it. They all felt its terrible presence while growing up, both physical and mental. All three of them had realized a long time ago that for beings such as themselves, it was something definite, something that was always going to come to them, whether they were successes or failures. They were contempt with it though. They let it come as it pleased, sometimes even embracing it, welcoming it into their lives. Still, for every painful experience our two twin siblings had felt, they would go through it all again, multiplied by ten over what they were facing at the current moment.

"Hey kids! I so glad to see your back! I was getting a little concerned, not they I don't trust you to not do anything to hurt yourseleves, not, not that I think you, you guys are weak or anything, its just as a.." an old man wearing a matching blue uniform to the twin's clothes stammered as he welcomed the siblings and unconscious boy as they entered the tent.

This was their Great Uncle's twin brother, Great Uncle Stanley. The twins had been living with him ever since they had came to Gravity Falls. He was their Great Uncle Stanford's lowly assistant and Janitor, as well as a walking door mat. From what they've learned from their Great Uncle Stanford, Stanley, for most of his life walked in his brother's shadow, being uncharacteristically supportive and happy for his brother, something that didn't help his own backbone( or Stanford's ego for that matter). He was always a scapegoat, a tool, and a source of public humiliation for all of his brother's shows, something he always went through, no matter how degrading or painful. The twins never saw much of anything in their other Uncle, or any usefulness, other than for an occasional laugh or two. What they hated about him however, was how he still seemed to want to be friendly to them, no matter how much they clearly stated they weren't interested.

"Look, Stanley, we are in a lot of pain at the moment, so if you don't mind, fetch us the medical kit, as well as a few refreshment right now." The Pines boy ordered, stopping the old man in mid sentence.

"Y-yes, yes sir, right away." He complied as he went to do as he was told. "And lets not be so formal with each other, alright. I'll call you by your names, and you can call me your Grunkle Stan, how does that sound?" He cheerfully suggested.

"What did we say about asking stupid and useless questions?" Mabel sternly threated as she gave her Great Uncle a frightful stare."

"To shut up and kick myself if I do." He quoted as he turned around to walk away with a smile, playfully kicking himself in the behind every two steps or so.

"What is wrong with they guy?" Was all Mabel and Dipper could think as they turned their attention to the little unconscious tyrant. Each of them had their own look of curiosity as they stared at his body. Dipper's was mixed with anger as he was prepared to beat the truth out of the little brat if he was forced to, heck, he might just do that anyway. Mabel, on the other had, was thinking about the various shades of yellow the little boy was wearing, and how he could wear so much of the same color, and not make it look tacky.

A disgruntled mummer comes out of the slightly bleeding lips of the little Diamond. His head turned as he struggled to get his eye's opened.

"Dipper, he's awaking! How does my hair look?!" She asked with a little too much worry in her tone, which Dipper could only reply with a "Are you serious?" look on his face. "What? We have a guest. It would be improper if we didn't look our best." She defended as her brother simply rolled his eyes. The tyrant in question had final opened his eyes with a sudden shock, and as he did, he immediately grabbed on to the nearest thing in his reach, which just so happened to be the twin boy's neck. Dipper was trying to grasp on to the little air he had left as the little Diamond furiously looked straight in his eyes as if he was trying to burn a hole in his head.

"You have about one minute before I squeeze even harder. That's enough force to snap you little pathetic neck, if you don't suffocate first. So tell me: WHERE AM I?!" Dipper face started to turn purple as he tried to muster the strength to break free, with was hard since his right hand was still broken.

"Hey, hey, hey! You can stop now!" Mabel interfered, causing the little Diamond to loosen his grip a little as he turned around to meet the gaze of the sister twin. "You were smashed down the hill by some sort of creature. We brought you back here to our base in so that our injuries could be properly tended to. So please, let go of my brother and we can discuss what's going on, and maybe, how to stop those, whatever they are." Mabel pleaded with a stern, but slightly calming voice. The little Diamond thought it over for a second. The female had a backbone that her blood relative seemed to lack. Plus at the moment, he was more angry at what tried to kill him over the petty squabble with the male, for now at least.

The little Diamond finally let go of his grip on the boy's neck, which left the twin brother gasping for air. "Are you crazy, Sister!? He almost killed me, twice already!? Why would we even consider...

"Because unlike you, she clearly respects someone with actual authority and power, not to mention I'm the only one capable of defeating those creature you just saw." He talked down to the boy. "Plus, I'm willing to give some respect for the clearly smarter human in our presence." Dipper groaned as Mabel blushed once more. This was the first time anyone has ever called her smart, and to indirectly say Dipper was dumb was just the icing on the cake.

"Fine, fine. I'm willing to let this slide for the moment. Now tell me, Steven, Diamond, whatever your name is, what are those creatures?

"They are like me, gems. But from what little I saw of them, they were corrupted."

"Corrupted?" Asked the confused Mabel.

"Yes, corrupted. Nearly 5,000 years ago, a war for this planet broke out." He explains as his diamond begins to light up. From there, they say beings, clearly humanoid shaped, but some, inhumanly big and strong. Their were two sides in that picture, fighting some sort of battle. Four distinct and tall beings seemed to command and lead one side, while the other was lead by one singular pink shaded being. "The battle waged on for nearly one thousand years, until the rebellion against my homeworld succeeded in their tactics. We had to abandon the earth, relizing to much was lost just to fight back." He went quiet for a second, as if he was remembering something rather unpleasant. Then the hologram changed, putting up an image of three diamonds connected together, though they made a shape that made it look like a piece was missing. "Our leaders and our divine creators, the Diamonds, decided to launch one final attack on the planet. Using their combined might, they sent out a wave of light that affected the physical forms of any rebel that was still on our planet. That light, that corruption wave, changed all those rebels, affecting them in both mind and body. Any Gem that went against our Homeworld was hit and turned into the mindless savages they acted like. That is their penance, that is their prison." Steven smiled a little creepily, which made the two twins back away a little."

"Wait, if what your saying is true, than why haven't we've seen monster's run around the world? Why are we only seeing them now? And if their was a war of that magnitude during the beginning of man's history, why hasn't anyone noticed any remains or recordings of it? Dipper inquired, getting a little suspicious of the Diamond's claims.

Steven shrugs indifferently. "How should I know? Up until about two to three decades ago, my kind wanted nothing to do with anything related to the earth. Its not my fault humans are too stupid to notice the obvious right in front of their faces." The twins, mostly Dipper, try not to be offended by that comment as they get back to the problem at hand.

"Okay, so what do we do about it? How do we stop them?" Dipper inquires.

"We, oh no, this is the for a subordinate, which, fortunately for you, I have plenty of." Steven then takes out a little device in his pocket as he lays it out in front of him. Then another image pops out of it and shows off a tall, green being with triangle hair and floating hair.

"Greetings my Diamond. I presume that your objective was completed." Peridot greeted.

"No time for pleasantries, Peridot. I need you to send in the Jasper to my location, and tell her to bring a destabilizers."

"Oh, yeah, about that, my Diamond, I hate to inform you, but the Jasper has been proofed, along with the Lazuli." Peridot sheepishly said as she prepared for an outburst. Steven gritted his teeth as he tries to contain his anger.

"Tell me, what happened." He murmered angrily as Dipper starts to smirk a little at the sight before him.

"There, there was an engine malfunction when we landed, so I sent them both with adequate instructions to fix it on their own. But of course, they had to go and mess it up, my Diamond." Peridot begins to laugh a little. "I mean, you wouldn't believe how stupid those clods were being. They couldn't even..."

"I have no time for games, Peridot. I want to know, how long until either of them properly reform."

"Oh, I, I really don't know, my Diamond. It could take hours, maybe even the rest of the week for just the Jasper to reform." She nervously says as she saw the anger seeping out of his face. "You know , my Diamond, if I could be of some assistance, I could delay the ships repair and help in any way I can." The technician suggested, as Steven gripped the device, and started to break it. "I take that as a no?" She finally says before the little Diamond crushes it completely as he throughs it against the tent wall.

"Idiots, idiots, idiots! I'm surround by idiots! I should've brought my pearl, she would've had more competence than any of them combined." The tyrant steamed as he took out his own trident once more." Well, I guess that saying my father says is true. If you truly want something done right, you got to do it yourself." He states as he prepares to march right out of the entrance, when he was stopped by the twins.

"Whoa, where do you think your going, little brat?" Dipper steps in. "You are just as hurt as the rest of us, and I honestly don't want to leave the town I plan on overtaking in the hands of a freak like yourself."

"Are you that dumb? You might be the most dense human I've ever seen, and I've visited a zoo full of dense humans." Steven says in disbelief. "Must we do this again? Look i'll make it simple for you. Me: Gem. You: Flesh bag. The only way to defeat those monsters is with a strong enough force, or a jolt of electricity." He shows off his powers once more, giving Dipper more than a little taste of it, burning the shoulder pad of his suit. "You especially don't have the strength to penetrate their form, so unless you can summon lightning from the sky, I doubt you can be of any help to me.." He once again tries to walk, only to be stopped by Dipper once again, this time, by a certain amulet.

"Even without this amulet, I still have more than enough power to take on those creatures. And unless you let us help, I can guarantee that you'll never see this again." He threatened, which made the tyrant chuckle.

"So now the weakling finally stands up to me in the real way." He smirks until he finally relents. "Fine, but just know that as soon as we defeat those rejects, I'm taking that amulet, one way, or another." He says as he marches off. "So, what are you waiting for? We don't have all day."

Dipper grumbles as he follows suit. "I can't believe this." He says as he tries to use his magic to fix up his arm, trying to get his mind of the little Diamond's commanding attitude.

Mabel just smiles as she followed the two. "I'm so going to marry him." She whispers as she tries to walk by the Diamond's side.

Meanwhile back in the shack, Stanley had finally come out of the room. "I'm back with the first aid, along with your favorite: Mabel juice! How's that sound?" He announces, only to find he was completely alone again. "Anyone here? No, just me? Oh well. I guess that means more juice and bandages for me." He chuckles as he tries to make the best out of the current situation.

* * *

"Seriously, how could these things escape?!" Shouted the voice of the one armed pearl. Despite the missing limb, she remained as graceful as ever, if not a little more forceful in her attacks as she attempted to poof an oncoming monster. "How could anything break through 7 feet of rock that easily!?

"I'm not sure!" Shouted the irritated fusion leader as she brutally pounded on a monster until it poofed back to its Gem. "All I'm aware of is that whatever it was, it wasn't alone. And they were after something. Something important, something powerful." She says with slight concern. And from a distance, as both tried to figure out what to do next, something was right above them. It wasn't as big as the other monsters, but it still looked ferocious and intimidating. It had been waiting for its chance at revenge against those that sealed her way, against those that beat her until all she saw was a bright pink light. It waited, patiently as she lurked over them on the tree she was on. Neither of them suspected a thing. She leapt. This was her chance. All it needed to do was give them a good pounce on and they...

"Watch out!" A young voice called out, The little girl that had been with the two older Gems leapt into the air, carrying a large pink sword. She lunged it forward, aiming it at the creature that threatened to harm her friends.

Poof.

With one mighty swing, the young girl had sliced through the creature. A bright light shined through the wound she had made, until the creature was no more but a little gem. The girl landed very impressively, as she didn't even look back to see the awesome feat she had just accomplished. She put the sword back in its Scabbard as she picked up the fallen gem and gave them to the leader.

"Well done Connie. I see your reflexes are getting sharper." Garnet stoically complemented as she surrounded all three Gems in a bubble before sending them off.

"Thank you." The little girl said humbly as she gave a little bow to her two guardians. "It wouldn't have been possible without your guidance and training,"

This sight especially made Pearl smile. Sometime 13 years ago, a mission went wrong. A homeworld pod was sent to search and find something. What it was looking for, nobody really knew, for it never accomplished its goal. The two Gems of Pearl and Garnet were all that was left of the rebellion, all that was left of Rose's mission. When they saw that pod, they weren't thinking straight. They were disgruntled, unfocused, and rash. The fight lasted for hours on end, with no clear sign of either side gaining an advantage, The fight was eventually taken to the streets, where the pod began to malfunction, and started to attack random citizens. Then one car, smashed right into it, causing a small explosion that was strong enough to knock the gems out. When they awoke, they saw no sign of the pod, only a small crater in the road, the smashed up car, a trail of blood, and a sound of crying. When they inspected it, it was a little baby girl, no more than a few months old. Knowing that they were ultimately responsible, they took her in as if she was one of her own. As she grew, she learned of the accident, and about homeworld's involvement. She never blamed the Gems, they raised her, but she did blamed Homeworld. So since the age of 6, Connie had been trained in the art of combat, defense and war. She didn't care about any pain she endured, she didn't care if she was about to die from exhaustion, strain, or stress. She embraced it, hoping for, no, longing for the day she could avenge her parents. She still had nightmare about that night. About the pod, about the symbol it held.

About the bright yellow diamond.

"At ease Connie, lets not celebrate just yet." She dismissed her as all three started to plan their next move. "We still got a dozen or so left, and we still haven't got a clue as to what caused it." Pearl exclaimed tired from getting no answers at all.

Before Garnet could respond to get her to calm down, a noise was heard. It was a grunting noise, a predatory like sound. It was dominating, big, and getting closer. Each one of the rebels turned around to the very source of the sound, holding up each of their weapons, in case things were about to get messy. They saw a giant purple, cat like corrupted gem prowling towards them. The creature was on the defensive, sensing their unease emanating from the tree of them, but for the most part, it was rather calm. It sniffed the air in curiosity, as it was encountering something familiar.

Connie held her sword up high, ready to jump towards danger once again to protect her friends, but before she could do anything, she was stopped by the calm hand of the white gem, who's eyes seem to water at the sight of the beast. Likewise, Garnet was at a loss for words as she made her weapons go away. She slowly walked towards the best with her right hand forward, as the left one covered her mouth, wiping away the occasional tear.

The beast was a little reluctant. It back away as it was confused by the feelings it was now experiencing. Why weren't they attacking her? Why wasn't it attacking them? And why did at least two of them seem so familiar?

Garnet had finally made her way to the corrupted quartz, and calmly placed her palm on her soft, whitish hair. "Amethyst." She whispered as her eye's begin to tear up even more.

Amethyst was a Quartz that Rose found in the kindergarten a few thousand years ago. From Rose's guess, she popped out the momment the corruption wave was set. Dispite some, initial reluctance from her team, Rose made her apart of the team. Amethyst was like a loyal pet, no, more than that, she was her a great teammate and friend. She had a habit of running off and often bringing trash into Pearl's room( in fact, she seemed to just mess with the white gem in general.) But Rose always seemed to get the rowdy Gem to calm down. Rose, oh how much she adored her. She would experiment nearly daily, trying to find a way the reverse her curse, to bring her back to her true gem status. But since Rose's, parting, Amethyst went crazy, wild, and irrational. Both Pearl and Garnet had to poof her, bubble her up for her own good, hoping for the day that they would fulfill Rose' wish, to heal her.

"Is that, is that the Amethyst that you guys told me about?" Connie finally caught to her team's sudden speechlessness. Both could only just nod as Pearl also walked up to give the Pearl a little pat. Amethyst, who's mind was starting to get a little more clear, looked straight at Pearl, before giving her a big lick. "Yup, this is definitely Amethyst." She said dryly, half annoyed that her team hadn't changed since she last saw her, which brought a light chuckle to Connie and Amethyst.

"She's okay, after all these years, she's okay." Garnet sobbed as she embraced the beastly Quartz, as did Pearl, and soon, Connie. Amethyst felt, good on the inside. She couldn't really describe the feeling, but she felt warm deep down. It was a good and welcomed warmth, calming, soothing, comforting, loving. If she had eyes, tears would already be falling down her face like a rushing river. She never thought she would ever feel like this again, not since...

Wait. The Pink.

Without any warning, Amethyst roared furiously in the air, shacking of the loving embrace of her team. She sniffed everywhere, trying to find the scent, the aurora, the menace...

The Yellow.

Ah

And with a sudden burst of speed, she lunged into the depths of the deep words, leaving her teammates with confused expressions as they pondered what the heck had just happened.

"Why did she freak out? Did we do something to offend her or something?" Connie asked a little worried about her newest teammate.

"I'm, i'm, I don't think so, i'm not sure. Amethyst back in the day had a knack for sensing anything troubling. Its like she can sense what people are putting out, enmity, peace. Who, or whatever she's running towards most have strong negative feelings."

"But why would she run towards, whatever it is? She may be rowdy, obnoxious, and slightly annoying at times, but she would do anything like this randomly! She always has a reason for doing something like this. There, must, it just, uhg, why can't anything be clear today!?" She screamed to the sky. Almost if it was waiting for that shout out, a huge surge of electricity shot into the sky as it lit the gray sky with a brilliant flash of yellow. None of the Gems or human present understood exactly what that was.

"Well, whatever she heading towards, it might hold some answers to whatever's going on around here. Lets go." She commanded as all three of them went to follow their former teammate. None of them would have admitted it, but they felt something dark, something foreboding coming their way. All of them felt whatever it was that Amethyst was tracking, they might not like what it was she found.

Oh, how right they were.

* * *

Steven wasn't sure if he ever felt like this before. On Homeworld, their were so very few, if any at all, that were willing to oppose him. Sure, their were the times he had those training sessions with Jasper, but those hardly counted. She constantly beat him even though he was an unarmed, slightly confused child, like he knew anything about combat back then. Nowadays, Jasper could hardly lay a finger on him, which always made him seek a challenge when no other choice was given. Yes, he was a diamond, a royal figure among the ranks of his fellow gems, but he ways more than willing to personally shatter gems if given the opportunity. As he ran his trident into the body of the monster he was facing, he could only think about the thrill of actually facing something that could hurt him. Sure, he knew that they were no match for him, but the way they challenged him, faced him without thought, without a plan, except to needlessly slash everything in sight, that, that's what made it a challenge. That's what made this so enjoyable.

Electricity flowed through the little Diamond's body as he channeled all of the energy into his weapon, making the creature shout in pain, before finally making its body fall apart. "Ahh" he says as he picks up the gem. "To think, you were once a mighty solder. You would've made a fine addition to my army." He smirks as he places it in a yellow bubble. "I say, that's two for me. How do you two fair?" He asks a little mockingly, not really expecting them to be of any use.

"Oh, did the little baby finally fill in his big boy pants?" Dipper mocks as he blasts away his monster into a tree, poofing it in the process. "That's three on mine count. How does it feel.." Dipper never gets the chance to finish his retort as the little Diamond throws his trident right at Dipper's head, making the boy shriek as he ducked. "Why I outa.." He shouted, only to notice that one of the corrupted gems had been right behind him, about to bite him in half until Steven's weapon went into its mouth and pierced its head, causing it to groan in agony as it poofed. "Your welcome." Steven said snobbishly as he walks to pick up his trident. "Try to keep up with the pace, flesh bag." Dipper could only groan as he resisted the urge to use his powers on him right then and there.

Mabel meanwhile had no trouble whatsoever( mostly due to the fact that she wasn't trying to one up someone) as she used to power of the amulet to smack the creatures up and down. She laughed manically as she smacked them around like a rag doll. Whenever Dipper and her put on a show, she always went out of her way to cause at least one person some pain. Whether it be someone in the audience or their Great Uncle Stanley, Mabel would always cause pain to someone. But, she had never went out like this, Dipper and Great Uncle Stanford always warned her to always hold back while in public. She always listened to them, conforming to their rules, to their standards. But this, this was liberating. This was freedom, and she was going to enjoy every single moment of it.

Steven and Dipper were still having their own little grudge match as they continues their assault on the monsters. None of them were willing to falter, none of them were willing to show the other any sign of weakness. Dipper cast a spell that ensnared two more of the beasts in grass until their gem's literally popped out of their forms. Steven went into the center of the field, spreading out a field of electricity, poofing three more Gems. And Mabel, well, lets just she lifted out who knows how many at a time as she forced them into the ground.

"I believe the earth term is "in your face." if I am not mistaken." Steven states he smirks right in Dipper's face, knowing full well that he got the better of the mocking human. Dipper said nothing as he simply lifted up his hands and blasted a giant ball of fire above them, poofing a gem that was right above them.

"There, now we are tied, six and six, one more, and I win." Dipper smirks, with Steven giving and equally devious smile.

"Yo, meat heads," Mabel called out as she floated back down to their level. "You have plenty of time to whip them out later, now, can you focus on the thing that's about to kill you!" She shouts as they all look at a new monster, purple and catlike. It roared as it closed in at her target, the little boy with a diamond in his chest. She completely ignored them as she prepared to make the yellow pay.

"Stay back. I'm warning you!" Steven said with a slight hesitation in his voice. This monster wasn't just like the other ones. Not only was it bigger, it had a certain ferocity to it, like it knew what it was doing. It knew who he was, it knew his symbol, his power, and he knew that this, whatever it used to be, wasn't going to stop until he was dead.

"You asked for this!" He said as he summoned his power to shoot lightning, until the creature did something unexpected. She turned around, and with its long, strong tail, it batted him, right in the Gem. This caused some sort of feedback loop in his power, knocking him straight into a tree, cracking the wooden plant in half, and leaving the little Gem boy, unable to move.

"Dear sister, I do believe it is our time to flee!" Dipper shouted as he grabbed Mabel's hand and prepared to run from it. Mabel stood in place, not wiling to leave now.

"Brother, we can't just leave him! He's helped us thus far, we can't abandon him now when he need's help!"

"Why! Tell me why right now! He's an alien, you said so yourself. Who knows what's going to happen if we let him go free?! Don't you remember what Great Uncle Stanford left for us, his greatest lesson!? Trust no one!"

"If your so keen on following him in every footstep he takes, then why should you ever trust me!? Why should I ever trust you!?" She screamed at him, leaving Dipper completely speechless as she heads towards the monster.

Mabel wasted no time in her attempt to save the little diamond. "Hey fur ball, try to pick on something your own size!" She shouted as her eye's glowed a pure blue light. She punched her fists into the ground, burying them deep into the earth and screamed in, releasing more power than she ever exerted before. It was painful, exhausting, and it felt like it was tearing her body apart from the inside. Soon, the ground beneath them began to glow the same light blue glow as all three beings rose along with them. Steven managed to open his eyes long enough to see her display of power. He was, intrigued to say the least. He read up on the history of the weapon, and even within the palms of the most experienced Gems, he never saw or witnessed anything or anyone with such pure, raw power.

Mabel was tired, and faint. She was starting to bleed from her nose from under all the strain she was experiencing. She couldn't keep her head straight as she started to lose balance on the rock she was on. The glow started to fade as well as they reached about 40 feet above the ground. Dipper could only gasp in horror and hope that her sister would turn out alright. Amethyst, that snarling beast, finally turned her attention to the little girl. She sensed her anger, her mania, her greed. She was not a good person, especially if she was protecting the yellow. The purple beast leered over the weakened girl as she prepared to end her with one good slash across the body. She raised up her mighty paw, prepared to end the little magic girl..

"Stop!" Amethyst turned around to see the little tyrant, somehow mustering the strength to stand up, using his trident as leverage. "Meet. Your. End!" He yelled as he raised the trident over his head, and with all of the strength he had left, plunged it to the ground, releasing all the electricity from his body, it spreading into the pillar of rock they stood on, to the sky right above them, showing off a brilliant flash of yellow. The rock began to crack with all of that power seeping into it, and it wasn't long before the tower of rubble they stood on fell up, leaving our three worn out fighters to fall. Steven Diamond, wasting no time at all, used the falling rocks to make his way to the unconscious girl. Using al of the agility and speed in his body, he pushed himself to her presence and grabbed ahold of her. Amethyst meanwhile, fell to the earth first, being smashed and poofed against the falling debris. A large, mushroom like cloud appeared into the air, making everything blurry and hard to see.

"Mabel!" Dipper screamed. He franticly without worry for himself rushed into the dust cloud, not caring if he could be hurt at the moment. How could he ever let her go this far? And for what? A bratty alien boy who'd probably already left them to die already? Suddenly, the cloud disappeared, revealing a small crater. In its center were two distinct things. A Purple Quartz Gem laid within the cracks of the crater, and a certain yellow tyrant holding in his arms, a weak but now conscious Mabel. She had a small smile on her face as she rubbed the face of her savior. "My hero." She said weakly and affectionately, not that Steven actually bothered to pay attention.

"But, wha, how, why?" Dipper pondered, wondering why he would go through all that trouble when the little Diamond made it very clear he didn't like him.

"Because you nimble minded fool," The little diamond berated the brother twin, "she has earned my respect, and despite my lack of empathy for the likes of you, I gave you my word that we'd work together, and letting you clearly superior half die would betray that."

This time, Dipper paid no heed to Steven's insult, for he was more concerned about the status of his sister. She was hurt because he didn't trust her, because they didn't trust each other. And now, she was saved by a total, shady, and bratty stranger because she trusted him. Exactly how much truth did Great Uncle Stanford's words hold?

Dipper and Steven lowered Mabel, helping her to her feet. Before anyone else could say anything, they heard a rustling in the woods once again. This time, three people came out, looking tired, battered, and confused. The twins wondered exactly who these strange beings were, seeing as two of them had gems in them like the little tyrant before them. Steven, however looked intensely at them, as if he was seeing them after a long period of time. He saw their uniforms, their symbol, the sword the runty human girl welded, the shape, the very defiance it represented. The Crystal Gems stared intently at the little Diamond, paying little heed to the other two. They saw his clothes, his weapon, his aurora of authority and discipline, they saw his gem, his diamond. Despite the small size, their was no doubt on who he was.

"Yellow Diamond." Garnet said while gritting her teeth. Pearl leaned forward, as if she was about to charge at them. Connie, however, did nothing as she stared intensely at his gem. The color, the shape, the destruction it caused. She knew that symbol all to well, she had seen it in every nightmare since her parent's death.

"YOU!" She shouted as she unexpectedly( to the Gems at least) jumped forward to slash the little Diamond. Before even Steven could do anything, Dipper raised his left arm, and surround all three of them in a shield.

"I suppose these are friends of yours?" Dipper remarked.

"Not in the slightest. I do believe this may be time to fall back for the day, wouldn't you say?"

"Agreed." Dipper said as his eyes glowed bright once more. And within a brilliant flash, the three antagonistic kids were gone, leaving a fiercely angry Connie, a troubled minded Pearl, and stoically silent Garnet as she picked up the purple Quartz gem from the cracks in the ground.

* * *

"So who were those guys? They had gems in their bodies, like you, only, you know, not monstrous or slobbery." Mabel remarked. After retreating, the three kids this time headed towards the little Diamond's base.

"They're the crystal gems, the rebellion group that thwarted the efforts of homeworld." Steven said with his head lowered a little. "It looks like a small number of them survived, a pathetic lot of them granted, but still" he gets a little more angry at this part. "They should've been corrupted along with the rest of those miserable rocks. This, this could potentially be a threat to my plan."

"Oh, a, speaking of that, I guess I should give you this." Mabel smiled as she took off her amulet, much to her brother's reluctance.

"Mabel, what are you doing! We never agreed to give that to him!"

"Really brother? He saved my life! This is the least we could do for him." She handed it over to the little Diamond, who looked at her curiously. He pondered for a few seconds before sticking it back out, much to the twins surprise.

"You, you helped, save, my life also." He stopped at multiple points, like he was having trouble saying thank you. "I saw how you wielded that weapon. It lacks skill and discipline, but I could sense the pure, unbridle fury and power coming out from you. You, you are a, unique human, to say the least."

Mabel blushed furiously now, feeling flattered by all the compliments the little Diamond has given her today, while her brother was completely slacked jawed. This was the most humble the little tyrant has been all day, and it went all towards his sister.

"So, I believe that you should have the amulet. I can show you how to weild it properly. In exchange, I suppose we could be allies as you suggested."

Before Mabel could give her answer, Dipper pulled her to the side. "Mabel, we can't do this!"

"Why? Why!? Dipper, didn't you learn nothing from today!? I'm alive, we're alive, because of him! Because ii took a chance and trusted someone!" She yelled at her brother, which once again made him a lost for words.

"Dipper, I know how much Great Uncle Stanford meant to us, meant to you, but your not him. We're not him, we're completely different people. Maybe he had a reason for not trusting anyone, but we're siblings brother, twins. We're meant to be close together, we've always have been." She said sincerely. "Don't you remember our vow?"

"To stay together, rise together, be strong together, forever." He repeated with a soft face. "I, I suppose if we're going to take over this town, we should do it our way." He said as here geared towards the little tyrant. "And I guess I should be grateful for saving my sister, Diamond." He held out his hand. "Truce?" Steven, with a sneaky smile, shook his hand also. As he did, Dipper leaned closer to his face. "But just so you know, I trust my sister, but don't think for a second that I trust you. Give me one reason to think your a danger to her, and I'll personally ensure your end." He smirks.

Steven was not fazed by this treat, in fact, he seemed rather amused. "I'm so glad that we understand each other. This will be an interesting relationship, don't you agree." He laughs.

Dipper turned around along with his sister as they leave the little diamond by himself. "I'm counting on it." Dipper whispers as they depart.

* * *

A little boy about the age of ten or so wandered into the former fighting ground of our three antagonistic children. He wore a hat with a pine tree shaped on it, which did little to cover his big bushy white hair. He inspected the sight, the craters, the various cracks on the ground, the burn marks on the trees, the small metal hole in the...

what

He went to inspect it. It seemed to be some kind of container. It was broken, but what was inside it was completely intact.

A dark red Journal with a golden, six fingered hand, and a number 3 in the middle of it.

He opened it up, accidently turning to the last page, which had three words written in bright, blood red.

TRUST NO ONE.

* * *

Next time:

Monsters and machines.


	5. Monsters and Machines Pt1

**Hey, so I now this must be unexpected since I leave tomorrow, but, I had to do something to get my mind clear. My grandfather has cancer now, and its only a matter of time until he dies. I, I really needed to try to forget that, but I wanted to get this out first. Thank you, thank once again to all of you loyal readers who have supported my stories. Sometimes when I'm feeling low, I get a new review that really lights up my day. So I would like to say this before I go.**

 **Please, wherever you are, don't be negative, don't go out and be that guy who wants to tell someone something bad just for the fun of it. Be an inspiration, be a light to others who are down, who are hard on themselves. Sometimes the right words, whether in public or online, can be exactly what someone needs in that moment. That's the message I'm going to spread while I'm at camp, so I hope I can spread this to you guys at well.**

 **I own nothing.**

* * *

The next two days were not too kind to the little Diamond's serving gems. When he came back to his base, he was met by the arguing of his Jasper and Peridot, each blaming each other for the damages to the ship, as well as for making their Diamond go at, whatever he was facing alone. To say that the Diamond was steamed was an understatement. Looking at his mere presence was like waiting for a bomb to go off, scary and nerve wrecking. All three Gems presence were on their knees, just waiting for the little Diamond to get on with whatever he had planned for them.

"Do you know what makes me upset?" The Diamond simply said, slightly confusing the yellow serving gems as they stared at each other. Steven turned around, not staring at them. His voice also seemed to lift a little. "Go ahead, my subjects, tell me." He insisted.

"Uh, when things take an unexpected turn and mess up your plan?" Peridot weakly said.

"When weak Gems are unable to preform even the simplest of tasks and assignments?" Jasper offered.

"When your forced into a situation that makes every part of your life less than ideal?" Lapis stated voidlessly, as if she wasn't really worried about a wrong answer.

The little Diamond just chuckled loudly, turning towards them with a smile that sent slight shivers down their back. The Diamond might've been small, but for a little kid, he was really terrifying. "Oh, oh, so close, so very, very close. I'm almost willing to forget your incompetence today by the shear complexity of your understanding." The diamond said very demeaningly, clear not meaning any of what he was saying. Sadly, Jasper did not catch on to his sarcastic tone.

"Really?" She asked, actually believing in this ray of hope for a minute. She was answered with a trident in the chest, pinning her to the wall. She gasped for air immediately as she struggled to pry the weapon from her body, or at the very least, be poofed.

"What makes me upset is when I'm clearly the only one on this ship capable of doing anything around here. You two..." he aid sternly, pointing at Peridot and the pinned down Quartz soldier. "Are some of the most capable gems that my court has to offer, yet when I ask for some simple assistance, to take part in an endeavor I should be leading in, I get word instead that my so called best, are acting like newly formed rubies!" He shouted, which made the three yellow serving Gems wince once more. "How am I ever going to get what I seek, when I have you of all gems serving by my side?!" He shouted at them, making the quickly stumble for an answer. "Well!? I'm waiting!"

"Uh, uh we'll be, we'll try, no, we will work together more to act better as a unit. I suppose that a proficient training simulation would be effective enough to make us better in out respective duties?" She have offered, have questioned, too nervous to actually speak her mind against the diamond. The little tyrant just processed this for a moment, contemplating whether or not her suggestion was adequate enough. Steven walked towards Jasper, who was still trying to pry the Trident from her body. "What do you say Jasper. Are you going to work with the Peridot?"

"Yes, yes my Diamond, if that is what you wish!" She gasped in pain, the feeling of the trident starting to get a little more than she could bear. She would've preferred to be cracked like the Lazuli than to endure this much pain.

Finally, the Little Diamond sighed. He turned around, using his power to zap the Jasper. Cracks of yellow appear all over her body as she screams not only in pain, but in relief that she was about to be poofed. And in no time at all, the Quartz soldier was nothing more than the Gem on her noise. "Report to me by the end of tomorrow. That should give you enough time for you both to reform." Steven simply stated as he prepared to leave.

"What do you mean..." The green technician tried to question, but before she could finish, the little Diamond plucked the little green gem on her forehead as if it were a grape on a vine, and her form immediately vanished, leaving her limb enhancers on the ground with a thud.

"Come Lapis, your with me for the time being. We must plan for the coming day ahead." Steven stated, shocking the Blue Gem with surprise. For the most part, she had just been a slave to the other Gems, the little Diamond not really saying or doing much to her since the day he freed her. She just followed, slightly happy that the other two were, indisposed for the time being.

The two just continued to walk down the hall. "You know, Lapis, today was far from what I was expecting. It was, intriguing to say the least. I met some, interesting humans down there you know." He said with a smirk, while the water Gem just listened in. "It was quite the experience. One of them actually knew how to respect a diamond, the first of her kind to do so. The other one, he was, quite irksome." He then began to chuckle upon remembering Dipper. "He actually thought he could oppose me with the little power that he had. He though, a little dust maggot like himself, was on par with a Diamond!" He howled at that thought, leaving the tall and lanky Gem somewhat confused. "Oh, I know that he's going to be trouble, I just do. People of his ilk tend to never give up, even when they're clearly outmatched." He started to smile a little more sinisterly. "But I will break him. He'll come to know the might of the authority, but for now, I must play this game. I'll stick to our alliance for now. And when they outgrow their use.." He says as he lifts up a single finger, sparking it full of electricity, before closing it, stopping the surge of energy. "I'll snuff them out."

"That's, that is a wonderful plan, my Diamond. I'm sure it will succeed. However.." She said with a low volume in her voice. "why are you talking to me about this. I'm flatter your confiding me with you thoughts, but why are..."

"Because in a day or to, I'm going to require your service." The Diamond once again went back to his usual stern tone as he went ahead of the former mirror Gem. "I'm going to call upon their "help" for a recovery mission, and I'm going to need someone just in case anything goes off plan." He simply stated. "The Jasper's too brutish and destructive for this mission, and the Peridot is just plain annoying. Your talents should be adequate enough for a task such as this. Plus, you the only one so far who hasn't made a complete fool out of yourself." He says before finally walking away to his chambers. "Don't mess it up." He threatens.

Lapis was at a lost for words. Finally, she had the chance to do more for the one that saved her. Finally, she had the chance to be more than just a menial slave around the ship.

Finally, he had the chance to prove herself to her Diamond.

* * *

The next few days were not much better to the twins,, or rather more specifically, not for Dipper. Still taking the time to heal from his broken arm, Dipper spent the next two days nose deep into his Great Uncle's Journal for anything on the on the little tyrant, his kind, or anything relating to the Gems. If her was going to align himself with a sketchy alien overlord, then anything against him would be welcomed.

But, there was nothing. Occasionally, the word "Gem" would pop up, looking like it was describing a specific group if people, but it was nothing useful. There was no weaknesses, no specific features, no nothing. Sure, there was a whole section he could've looked into, but it was in no language he could decipher. No code, no key he could follow, nothing that would help him read it. Dipper sighed. His Great Uncle Stanford might've been the smartest man in the world, but he was the worst at being specific, and the last thing Dipper needed at the moment was a challenge for his noggin.

Mabel actually had fun in the last two days. Since Dipper was more focused on their Great Uncle's work than their financial woes, Mabel was free to take charge of their show without any restraint from her brother. So on the first night alone, she called upon one member of the audience to the stage. She then announced she was going to light him on fire, without leaving any burns on the body. With a wave of her hand, she managed to light him up in blue flame, leaving no burn marks on the body. However, what she didn't tell the audience, or the man she lit on fire for that matter, that the victim of her spell would still feel like they were on fire. The man screamed in pain, trying to tell people that he needed help, but Mabel had already placed him in a invisible box, where he ran around in circles until he passed out from lack of oxygen. The audience applauded, convinced by the show girl that the man was merely shouting in joy and passed out from excitement.

That's pretty much how the rest of the show went. There was the classic "swords in the box trick", where the people inside actually were impaled with swords, but still stayed alive, even with them painfully bleeding out with the weapon stuck in them. And then there was the invisibility gag, where she would actually make someone invisible, but forgot to mention the small side effect of madness that came with it. Sad to say, that man would never be seen again, though tales of a wailing spirit that lives in the woods still live on to this very day.

All and all, Mabel had a full and fun two days. After the 2nd days performance, Mabel walked to the side of the stage, wiping off some rather suspicious red markings on her hands, making sure that no one was watching her from behind. From there, she was greeted by her brother, who as she expected, was still buried deep into the book. She rolled her eyes as she leaned on her brainy brother's head. "So how was my performance/? I suppose I added enough flair, but I don't think that woman was too happy with her new set of eyes." She smiled as she thought about how hilarious the woman was when she saw her rather, nocturnal set of vison.

"So I suppose that blood on your hands isn't a lawsuit waiting to happen?" He idly said, not really paying heed to what horrid deed she may or may have not have done.

"Whaaat?" She playfully shouted. "I honestly didn't mean to make him so scared, but once he knew what I was about to do, he just had to fight it. Poor guy, I saw his wallet, looked like he was about to move out of state." She sail as she shrugged off whatever she did to that poor sole as nothing. "Oh well, I guess that one guy who has the smarts not to come to another show."

"Dear sister, I would berate you about the overuse of your power and the cost of recurring customers, if I wasn't so busy trying to learn about our latest, encounter with the abnormal of Gravity Falls." He said quite stoically, making it clear he wasn't in the mood for any nonsense. "I've been looking in this blasted book for two days straight, and i can't find any evidence on anything about out yellow "friend". He said with disdain, as if friend was the last thing he wanted to call the little brat.

"Oh, your just overthinking the situation brother" Mabel said casually. "You know, for the time being, he is our ally." Dipper looked up, wondering exactly what her sister was getting at. "You forget that we have direct access to his presence right? If you want to observe him that badly, than all you need to do is walked up to him, bring him along on one of you silly "escapades", and viola, you got everything you need to know."

"Mabel, if I wasn't so convinced that this was an excuse for you to see him again, then maybe I would applaud the actual thought you put in your suggestion." He spoke with slight appreciation in his tone.

"That's, that's beside the point!" She defended herself, once again, a little too loudly. "But in all honesty Dipper, is it worth it? I mean, sure he has an ego, and he is certainly ambitious enough to oppose us, but he's a kid. If anything, his little grudge match with you is more cute than threatening." She said with a small blush on her face.

"Oh save your affections for something that's worth it." He said as he tried to get over how annoyed he was. "He's an unknown, and what's unknown, is dangerous. Besides..." He says as he tries to clear his mind of his frustration. "Its not like we're his favorite people or anything. What are the chances that he'll just invite us over to his side. "Its not like he's going to walk straight to our front door and ask for us to be in his presence.

* * *

The next day, the twins went out to the tent early in the mourning, finding something that they really didn't expect to see, no matter how much Mabel wished for it to happen. Right in front of them, it was the little Diamond himself, standing in all his ruling glory; right behind him , being a tall, blue skinned girl with creepily large and reflective eyes that were just full of emptiness and sadness.

"Hello Pines siblings. I am requesting your presence for an important endeavor that requires your services." The Diamond stated as he stares straight at the dumbfounded twins. All Dipper could think of at the moment was this...

' I can't believe that he literally walked straight to our front door" "What are you doing here, Diamond? Why do you want us?" Dipper said skeptically.

"Dipper, don't be an idiot, he clearly want us to help, in whatever it is that it is, right." Mabel said flirtatiously.

"Indeed, miss Pines." The Diamond stated formally. "I'm looking for another artifact from my Homeworld, and it seems as though it is within close quarters of your location. I believed since this, town as you call it, is where you currently occupy in, you have a better grasp of the layout than I do. This could prove vital to finding it."

"Why of COURSE we'll help, RIGHT Dipper!?" Mabel elbowed her brother in the stomach, emphasizing her words, making it clear that this was the opportunity that they have been waiting for. Finally, Dipper had the chance potentially learn something vital about his new "ally", and Mabel had the chance to flirt freely.

After some thought, Dipper finally relented. "Fine, we'll help you. Now exactly where are is this artifact?

* * *

The place that the little Diamond was referring to happened to be Lake Gravity Falls. The Twins, along with their Great Uncle Stanely( who was wearing fishing clothes and gear) headed out with the two Gems, only to be stopped at the sight of a number of people. Now, had this been a normal day, then maybe only about five or ten other people at most would be their, but today happened to be "family fun day". which meant just about everybody and their mothers were there that day to catch fish and hang out, much to the dismay of the twins.

"Ah, come on! On the one day we actually try to go out, everyone else is here! How are we going to find what we're looking for in this jumbled mess." Mabel distressed.

Dipper actually seemed to smile at that. "Don't worry, dear sibling, I believe I have the solution. Stanley, My Microphone." Dipper commanded the old man, to which he immediately complied. "Attention fishers of Gravity Falls!" The male twin announced, making everyone, even the red headed girl that was trying to wrestle down a flopping fish with her brothers chanting, stop to look up at the little showman. He held up an official looking contract before continuing. "As of last night, Lake Gravity Falls is now the official property of the Pines Family. So that all means you are trespassing on private property!" Everyone groaned as they immediately head towards the exit. "Please head to the exit, where Stanley here will collect all your fines for crossing illegally, not to mention the small fee for entering this place!" He said as Stanley set up a cardboard tollbooth, where the disgruntled faces of the townspeople reluctantly handed him over piles of money. "Thank you, thank you, please come again." The old man cheered as he tried to brighten up the faces of everyone."

"WAIT! Wait just one second!" The pines boy freezes in place as a man in an green uniform that wore a large green hat, that covered most of his face, save for his large nose. "I'm the manager here, and you can't just kick everyone out of a lake that's FREE to come to!"

"Yeah, weird how capitalism works. Also, it clearly states here on our contract that all previous ownership rights are immediately transferred to the right of the Pines Family, so, in other words, your fired." He smirked as he shoved the contract in his face.

"But, but, but.." The man tried to argue, but before he could his statement out, a jolt of electricity surged through him, making him fall to the ground. He stared at the source, which was Steven himself.

"The boy said to leave. Now Leave!" He growled, which made the man get up on his feet, and mutter something incoherent as he walks away. "Are all humans as that pesky?" He states."

"Eh, not all, but most, which is why people like us are around, to get rid of them, sometimes permanently." Mabel smiled as she walked next to her brother. "So you planned ahead for this?"

"Exactly. Since we're going to run this town eventually through force and conquest, I'd figured, why not try it the legal way first. I have no idea why so man find it irritating, it was actually mildly amusing." Dipper smirked as the entire group made their way towards the only boat that was left on the lake. They climbed aboard, greeting the only person left on the lake, a rather plumpish man wearing a blue denim jacket.. He also wore a slightly torn black shirt with a picture of a raptor on it. He seemed rather dismissive and unmoved by the appearance of the new people now on board.

"Welcome aboard. I'm Soos, you captain for this, whatever it is that your doing." He droned on like a robot, not really expressing any real emotion in his voice a he read some magazine. "Please, refrain from jumping up and down on the floor, as this boat is really old and not worth buying." He said just as Stanley's lower half sunk into the floor. "In the very likely event that we sink, you can just swim back to the sore, unless you can't swim, in that case, I guess I wont be paid or whatever." He stopped as he doesn't even bother to look at the controls as he starts the boat, lunging everyone on board a little forward.

Not sure what to make of that rather rude intro, Dipper just shrugged it off as he made his way towards the little tyrant. "So tell me exactly what were looking for, little brat. Why drag us out here?"

Lapis did not expect to hear his rude tone, and was rather upset at it. She shoved herself right in front of her diamond, and berated the rude boy. "How, how dare you talk down to my Diamond!" She shouted as the boat began to shake. Everyone looked at the sides as they watched the surrounding water float before them. Nobody knew what to expect and braced for impact, everyone except Soos, who wasn't even paying attention, and the little Diamond.

"Now, now Lapis." He smiled as he calmed her down. "He the one I told you about. Let him go for now."

"But, but, but my Diamond, he insulted your honor, talked down to you like.."

"Yes, I am aware of this, but don't you worry, he'll get what's coming to him in due time." He said as the Lazuli finally calmed down, dropping the water around them, and stopping the turbulence.

"What, what the hell was that!" Mabel shouted in shock.

"Oh right, how rude of me to forget." Steven snickered as his waved towards his loyal subject. "This here is my loyal subordinate, Lapis Lazuli. She a Gem with the ability of hydrokenisis, so watch you step, flesh bag." he walked up to Dipper, who continued to stare menacingly at the tyrant "Or I might not be able to stop her rage the next time."

"Just, just tell us why we're wasting our time for you." Dipper stated, trying to move on.

"Very well." His Gem once again glows, and two images of beetle like creatures. "These are the geode beetles of Heaven and earth, two important pieces of Gem culture. As such, they were lost, at least until I found them while mapping out the landscape." The image turns into a map of Gravity Falls. "I've located one of them to this location, so we'll split up and map the landscape while my Lazuli searches the water below. Clear enough for you?" The Diamond berated, making Dipper rolls his eyes.

"Yeah, except for one thing, why do need us? You could clearly do this on your own."

"Yes, but you know the land better than I do, and what's the point of having an alliance if you don't use it every once in a while." He smirked. "Also, I've heard tales of some sort of monster guardian, and I didn't feel like fighting one today, which is why your going to."

"Wait, what monster?" Dipper questioned, only for Mabel to answer that for him. "Oh, your talking about the Gobblewonker."

"The Gobblewonker, you mean that myth about the lake creature that roams in the water?" Dipper said in disbelief.

"Oh, don't you dare be one for a fool, little boy." Stanley, still stuck in the floor of the ship, said a little eerily. "The Gobblewonker has roomed these waters almost as long as time itself." Everyone, now curious to the old man's story, leaned in closer to listen. "Legend has it, that the Gobblewonker is an ancient creature, evolved straight from the Dinosuars. Once a rather docile creature, it lived in peace, always making sure to mind its own business. But one day, one day the sky's ran rampant with fire. A bright flash glowed in the air, blanketing everything on the planet with some kind of light. That light, oh that bright light, brought forth some kind of, change in the creature. Its nature, its very nature, changed. He grew vicious, vile, and destructive. Everything he came across, he would devour and destroy entirely. As such, his fetures changed as well, growing bigger and stronger the more nastier it became. To this day, the creature is said to still roam this lake, guarding Scuttlebutt Island, protect it from those he dare cross into his home." He clears his throat, finally stopping his eerie tone. "Or at least, that's what I've heard. So, who wants to help me up while I teach you kids how to cast a reel!" He said happily, only for the boat to come to a stop.

"We're here!" Mabel shouted. Everyone, save for Soos and Stan, got off and on to the Island, leaving the chipper old man stuck in his position. "Is no one going to free me? No. no one, oh well." He said as he grabbed on to his fishing reel. "I'm in the perfect position to fish." He said, right as a seagull landed on top of his head. "Hey little guy, wand to fish?"

* * *

The task went pretty straight forward from there. Lapis was instructed to sort through the water surrounding the island, while out three kids split up to investigate. At the moment, Steven Diamond was marching along on his own search. He just smiled as he thought of his own little plan. If this worked out, then he'd be killing to birds with one stone. Nothing would be able to stir him no, absolutely noth...

"Surprise!" The female twin announced herself, popping herself out of no where as she floated in the air. The little Diamond was not shocked in the slightest.

"You know, if your goal was to plan a sneak attack, then you should probably start by not glowing. I was able to see you a mile away." He plainly stated as he continues to walk away. Mabel, not getting the hint she was not wanted, just continued to float right beside him.

"So I was thinking about your offer to train, and while that's sweet and all, I don't think I'll be needing it."

"Oh really? How so?"

"I mean, don't get me wrong, I appreciate what your doing, little cutie" She rubbed her fingers across his nose. "Its just, you said yourself, I'm already powerful enough, why shouldn't that be enough. Shouldn't we be focusing on a, different lesson." She leaned in closely with a, suggestive tone.

"You do realize that shear force is not enough to win battles, right?" He stated simply, much to the slight disappointment of Mabel. "If one doesn't concentrate, than they're doomed to fail, no matter how powerful.

"WHaaaat? I'm focused. I'm totally concentrated." She said, not at all noticing her error in grammar.

"Then why do I have your amulet?" He raised up his hand, showing off said amulet.

"What!?" She said in shock, realizing just now she had lost it, "How, why, how did you do that without..."

"Like I said, this weapon takes concentration, and as I have painfully observed, you do not. Your very, very weak minded." He trots off, not taking heed to how she reacted to his little insult. But in that instant, he froze. He stared out in the horizon, as if he was being watched. Mabel, on the other hand, was not one to let that insult go.

"Now listen here, you, you, you, space tyrant, whatever you are! Don't you think I'm going to let you insult me just because I think your cute! I'm...'

"Shh" He hushed.

"What! I get this crap from my brother, and I am not going to..."

"Ssh. Somethings coming." He warned, and indeed he was right. Right before them at that instant, a giant, serpent like head was above them, with glowing white eyes and fins all over its head. It roared at them mightily , as if it was about to chomp them down in that instant, if the little Diamond didn't leap into its mouth and place his trident on the inside, making it struggle to move its mouth. Mabel used her powers to force it on its back as the little Diamond leapt next to her side.

"Come, let us depart before it follows us." The girl ordered, trying to get the Diamond to follow her, but he stayed in place.

"A Diamond doesn't run from his foes." He stood his ground. "Besides, its jut one creature, with our combined abilities, we should be more than enough." He said with confidence as the little girl blushed. "Besides, it takes more than that to break a Diamond."

Right as he said that, they both saw multiple glowing white eyes. As they revealed themselves, they showed off more than one Gobblewonker head.

"Is that enough?" The girl sarcastically commented as they both got into position to fight.

"We shall see."

* * *

 _next time, our antagonistic cast fight off a swarm of Gobblewonkers as we also check on Peridots and Jasper's first encounter with the Crystal Gems._


	6. Monsters and Machines Pt2

**Ohhh, man, this chapter took way longer than it should've,, but it's been a little crazy since I've come back home. I've had to adjust to a new schedule, and, wow, it feels a little weird typing again. I'm still not used to it after three weeks off the computer.**

 **Anyways, i'm finally back from camp, and I thought I kick it off with a new chapter of Reverse Diamond Falls. I had a lotta fun writing it, as it ended up being way different than I originally planned it to be. Thanks to all that reviewed while I was gone, your words are what keep me going, that, and my ukulele practices.**

 **I own nothing.**

* * *

Uncertainty. Confusion. Exactly what are these words to a person, more specifically, what merit did they hold to a Gem? For the water manipulator Lapis Lazuli, these were feelings that she felt quite often, at least once a day. She felt it whenever she looked upon the prisoner she kept guard of most of the time? Why bother to keep him with them? Why even keep him alive if he is one of the greatest banes to her Diamond? She felt it whenever she was ridiculed and demeaned by her fellow subordinates. Why even bother to mess with her at all? How were they still here despite their constant annoyance and incompetence?

But none of it compared to the confusion she had toward her leader himself, Yellow Diamond. How was it possible to be a rock and flesh at the same time? Why would the original ever give up her life for anything? Why did a Diamond needed to be taught anything if he already ruled over most of his court? Why did he keep her around as a slave? Why did he even bother to let her live despite the cracked Gem? And mot of all, why did he feel the need to stay with him, to serve him? He hardly ever said a word to her, unless you'd count the countless hours he rambled on to himself that he just so happened to say in front of her. And really, was he really who she wanted to devote her services to for her life?

"Ahem." She heard a cough from behind where she was standing by. It was the elderly man that had came on to the boat with the group. He was still stuck with the floor of the contraption as he gave a smile in her direction. "So, whatcha thinking about?"

"I'm sorry, were you talking to me?" The slave Gem answered slightly confused.

"Oh, I was just trying to reel in my catch" he says, pointing to his fishing rod, which had somehow broke in half, " and I couldn't help but notice you staring off into space. So again, what's on your mind?"

The water gem didn't know what to say at first. This may have been the first time a human had come to talk to her. More so, it was the first time anyone came up to talk to her without demeaning or displaying their authority over her head. It felt weird, almost alien, but somewhat, good, she guessed.

"I'm, I'm just pondering about my position in life. Its, its nothing that a human should be thinking about." She said with a blank expression, making sure to show as little of her face as possible.

The elderly man continued to press on however. "Really? Are you unhappy with your Job or something, because i'm pretty sure there are plenty of things someone like yourself could do around he.."

"Oh, no, no, I, I not displeased with my position, I'm just uncertain about my function to do it." She said slightly nervously. "I was meant to, to serve my leader, my diamond, and I will fulfill it to the fullest of my extent."

"Diamond? You mean that kid in yellow?" Stanley asked, only getting a small nod from Lapis as a answer. "What do you do exactly, are you like his nanny or caretaker?"

"No, no, It's, it's nothing like your earthly caretakers. I'm his servant, a loyal subordinate to his court, I, I make sure nothing bother's him, that I'm there for him whenever he requires my services, and make sure he's, that he's never upset or displeased." She said almost somberly. "I just, I don't know if i'm preforming my job well. He hasn't laid a finger on me, yet he's also barely done anything with me since he found me. I, I just don't know how i'm doing. If i'm doing my Job wrong, does that mean I, I should just go away?"

"Oh." The old man said, not really expecting to hear an answer like that. "I'm guessing that you don't get thank a lot for you job." He doesn't wait for an answer a he continues. "That's pretty normal to be honest. A lot of people practically spend their entire lives trying to impress one person, to live up too their example, their standards." Stanley pauses for a moment, almost as if he was reminiscing something. "If said person doesn't show any appreciation for it, then there's really nothing you can do about it. But, let me ask you something. Do you really work to please your kid?"

"Of, of course I do" She shouted. "He saved me from a fate worth than death, he gave me a purpose. I, I live to serve him."

"Then if that's the case, then you have nothing to worry about. As for appreciation, don't fret. I believe the universe has a way of answering that." He gives her a reassuring smile as she turns slightly away, feeling a bit more lighter than she did a moment ago.

"Ho.." She starts to speak, only to hear a loud roar, and the voice of her Diamond bellow through the air. "I, I have to go!" She screamed franticly as she flapped her water wings. "Thank you!" She lets out before disappearing into the air. Stan say nothing back as he shows off a happy and contempt smile on his face, only to let it go for a moment when she see's the predicament he was still in. "I should've asked her to get me out of here."

* * *

"Ugggh, seriously, why must you infect every step of this recovery mission with your incompetence?" The nasally voice of Peridot demeaned." She was on the side of a cliff edge, making sure to keep her self steady and to avoid the lake of lave that was right below them. That however, did not stop her from insulting the quartz soldier she was forced to work with.

"And why must you keep speaking? Its that smart mouth and overinflated ego that got us into this mess!" The annoyed Jasper said as she continued to follow the green Gem's lead. "If you had just said anything else to our Diamond, then I would be here by myself, and accomplishing the mission in half the time its taking us now!"

"Well, excuse me for exercising caution! Despite our enhanced durability, none of our forms would be able to handle the heat of the molten magma for long, and its harder to actually get through the terrain safely with a giant puff ball like yourself hindering my progression!" The green gem shouted, only to falter a little as she slips for a second and tries to regain her balance.

"Look, I hate you, and you hate me, so lets just grab that stupid bug and get out of here." Jasper said dryly. "The faster we get this done, the better we look in front of Yellow Diamond, and the less we will have to work together, understand?" She emphasized.

"Fine, I'll relent for now, but only, and only for my Diamond." She stated as they continues to cross. It wasn't long before they finally reached a small, temple like structure. Peridot smiled with enthusiasm as she approached the little fort to grab the beetle inside, only to step back when a giant gauntlet smashing the little fort to pieces. Both yellow serving Gems turn their head to their attacker, and were met with the scowling face of the crystal Gem permafusion.

"Tell me" she said very threateningly, "why is Yellow Diamond here on earth?"

* * *

Mabel did not know what to say at the moment. She, in all honesty didn't think anything this, exciting, would happen today. She figured it would be a simple task. Find the, whatever it was the little space boy wanted in little to no time, leaving the rest of the day free for flirting and a make-out session( she would be willing to force it, don't judge). But no, right when she thinks she's getting through that thick head of his, they're attacked by a giant sea monster, beat it back, only to find more vicious, giant sea monsters.

That was what was going through her head as she ducked and dodged the biting heads of the gobblewonkers, using her amulet to avoid them, as the little Diamond beside her slashed and forced them back with his trident. "You think you're a match for my might!?" The yellow tyrant bellowed in the air as he started to surge all the energy he could into his hands, and let out a stream of electricity at one of the creatures. It screeched for a moment before falling to the ground. "I've faced far bigger and nastier than the likes of you!" He continues to shout, starting to get a little red in the face as sweat falls from his body. He launches his entire self at another monster, drilling his weapon into its scalely hard body. Mabel slightly backs up a little, actually afraid that the little tyrant would explode from all the anger he was emitting. "I am a Diamond, you pathetic creature!" He shouts as he repeatedly slashes into the beaten body of the sea creature. "I will show you my dominance! My might! I will not be made weak by.." The Diamond's ramble was suddenly interrupted by an oncoming monster head. It roared as it chomped on the little boy, swallowing him whole.

Mabel while in shock, did not have the luxury to show any remorse for what had occurred as she used all of her power to try to float away. With the beat of her heart pacing like a rock metal drum, she sweats as the blue light around her flickers, making her fall down with a thud. "Come on, come on! Why wont you work?! Why can't you.." She screamed as another gobblewonker head was coming straight at her, ready to devour her out of existence. However, she didn't even have the time to flinch as a blue ball of flame was launched at the side, making the head turn overfor a second, only to be met with a giant fist of rushing water.

"This is what I get for trusting an alien, a swarm of monsters." Dipper said dryly as he and Lapis approached the scene. The boy analyzes the layout, whistling at the ight of the few fallen monsters that the duo seemed to have taken care of. "I see that your end of the search is a fruitless as the task itself?"

"No time for sarcasm dear brother, we have to book it!" The dark girl said as they both prepared to leave, but were stopped by the arm of the watery blue Gem.

"Wait, where, where, where is my Diamond?" Lapis said a little anxiously, fearing the worst. She caught one glimpse of Mabel's face, which looked increasingly uncomfortable by the second.

"Ah, well, I,the thing is, is, that maybe, it really.." She stammered.

"He's dead, isn't he?" Dipper bluntly figures out, widening the blank eye's of Lapis. "You two were fighting, and he was eaten." He states again, this time with more of a smile on his face. "Well, that takes care of that problem. Come on, he won't be getting any deader." He turns around, expecting Mabel to follow suit, only to see that she hasn't moved an inch. The male twin just sighs."Uhhh, Mabel, I know you get attached to these things, but come on! You've only known him, for like, a day. There's plenty of other boy toys you can.." He walks up to her to talk to her face to face, only to see a horrified expression. Dipper would've question this, had not the ground been shaking. He turns to the source of it, Lapis Lazuli.

Said water Gem had a disoriented expression upon her face. She couldn't even begin to process the words that she had just heard. Her Diamond, her ruler, her savior, had died? The most important person in her life, had just ceased from living, all, all because of her, all because she couldn't be the Gem she was told to be. She failed her one mission, he one task. That, that, that she could not even begin to fathom.

"No, no, no, no NOOOOOO!" She screamed into the air. "My, my, my..." he couldn't even continue to speak what she said as she expressed her sorrow through her powers. The ground shift and shook more than any earthquake aa crack and faults began to form. Large bodies of water began to float in the air as she raised as much as he could above them. This was enough to shock the two humans into panic, but what made it all the more terrifying was the fact that it all, somehow, turned into ice, hardening into dense spikes as it began to slowly lower itself.

"What, what are you doing! That, that iceberg is big enough to squash as all into oblivion!" The dark male twin announced. "We need to get out of here if we're to survive!"

"No." Lapis firmly stated, standing her ground. "I, I've failed in my mission, my duty to protect my Diamond. I, I don't deserve to live." She states as she takes one look at the remaining Gobblewonkers. "And neither do they!" She shouts, before she finally lets go of her grip with the giant block of ice. For a brief moment, everything felt like it was going in slow motion. Nothing could be done about this. This, would be their end. Dipper embraced his sister, hoping to at least get a safe distance away to escape with minimal casualty. But for Mabel, she, she didn't budge a bit. The adrenaline was now flowing all over her body. It surged through her, flowing like a rushing tide. It was a chilling sensation that covered her entire body. She didn't know what to think, heck, she barely had any time to decide her next action. The next few moments, were like she was on autopilot. As the amulet started to glow, so did her eyes. The glowed the same bright blue they had just a few days prior. Almost everything was exactly the same before. As if by instinct, she lifted up both of her hands into the sky. The giant block of solidified water began to glow the same bright blue, and it slowly began to stop its descent. Soon it stopped completely, being about a foot away from crushing them. Dipper sighed in relief as his sister struggled to keep it up. Unfortunately, not all were happy about being saved as Lapis raised up one hand, and began to force it down even more, bringing more and more strain to Mabel's struggling body.

"Why, why did you stop it!? It needs to go down! I can't honor my Diamond, I, I can't redeem myself to him as long as those monsters are still living!" She argues as she increases her pull. "If your trying to stop me, than, than I guess we all don't deserve to live upon this miserable rock." She snarks as he prepares to bring it down. "So I'll fix that, I remove all of us from this planet, forever." The force on the ice block increases as Mabel begins to shout in pain. Her blood vessels began to pop out of her veins as they began to form all over her arms, legs, and head. Sweat pours down her face as her feet begins to lose its traction.

"Di, Dipper" she barely manages to say. "I, I can't hold it, I can't hold on any longer." She begins to cry as the pain starts to over take her body. "Its, its over,, you, you were right. You, Steven, Stanford, you, you were all right. I, I, can't, I can't focus, I can't concentrate, I've, I've..."

"No, no! Don't you, don't you dare say you've failed!" Dipper shouted, straightening out Mable's posture a little, trying to support her body as much as she can. "You've kept us alive this long, and I believe you have what it takes to keep doing that!"

"But you, you've said.."

"Since when have you listened to me!?" Dipper interrupted. "You've always had a knack for sticking to you're own thing, to your own roots. You've never, never once held back with you're magic, and now, this is the time to go crazy, to go all out with it!" Dipper huffed as the block got closer. "You can do this, dear sister! I, I, I trust you to keep us alive!"

That what she needed to hear. Within moments of hearing those words, Mabel began to step up a little. She slowly raised up her arms and flashed the blue light coming out of her hands even more as she howled in pain. "Ahhhhhhhhh" She screamed as she steadied herself, raising the block of ice ever more slightly. Soon, Lapis was struggling to keep it down, as it began to slip through her grip.

"No, no, no! I will not allow this! I will not.."

"Look here, you emotional extra-terrestrial!" Dipper snapped, slightly making the water Gem move back a little. "I have as much respect for you as I do for that brat you call a leader, but this, this, this is beyond stupid!" He accused, slightly making the water Gem mad, though she made no attempt to lash back as he continued. "You are so blinded by the great image you make out your leader to be, that you use it to out weigh common since! Your kind must be the thickest, most emotionally immature beings I have come across, and seeing as that tyrant was one of your rulers, you're already 100 times better off." He snarled, despite his sister's futile efforts to tell him to stop.

Lapis was livid. So much disrespect, so much malice and hatred from one being, who her Diamond had given the very honor of working with. This could not go unanswered, this, this needed to end, right here right now.

She focused on one part of the ice block, taking out a sharp piece of ice that vaguely resembled a spear. "I'll start with you first." She said with complete malice and murderous intent. The male twin's eyes widen as he prepares to block or avoid the incoming attack. Lapis, fully making up her mind, launched the ice spike at him, and would've have seen it all the way through if not for one, shocking surprise.

* * *

 _'Weak, so, so very weak. What a failure you turned out to be.'_

It was dark, and cramped. Aches all over his body began to flare up once he regained his concousness. It was weird, but slightly familiar for some reason.

' _You've think you've experienced pain? This is me at my weakest. How could you ever be a diamond if you can't even survive the equivalent to a pat on the shoulder?'_

 _"This, this can't be the sum of what I am, can it?"_ The little Diamond pondered. He tried to move, to regain to composure to stand, but he couldn't. No matter what he did, he was trapped in the cramped dark space.

' _do you want to get up!? Do you want to get free!? Do you want to live!?'_ A malicious voice echoed through his head.

' _you, you cant keep doing this to him! He's yellow's legacy!'_ A softer, more worried tone came up.

' _If he can't free himself, if he can't even get through this measly pain, then he is not deserving of our guidance. He has no right to live as Yellow's heir. He is like the rest of those humans: absolutely nothing.'_

 _"No, no, no, No!"_ He mentally screamed. "I, I will not be weak! I, I, I am the son of Yellow Diamond!" He announced as he used all the strength he had in him to force him self free. It took a little while, but he did it. The sound of bending metal filled the air as he with little effort moved it out of his way. "I am Yellow Diamond, and its time for this creature to Meet. Its. End!" He places his hands right behind him as he charges all of his energy into his arms and shoots it all out with one mighty force. It propels him forward as the excess of electricity in the creature begins to ignite some fiery explosions. The yellow tyrant pays no heed to this as he begins to shoot towards the light.

That light, just so happened to be the mouth of the closest monster to Lpais, and as it started to sizzle and sparkle, Lapis, Dipper, and Mabel happened to turn their heads at the sight, where Steven shot out with the blaze of a bullet, his face determined, and his arms wide open.

"Get down!" He commanded as he tackled all three of his companions, barely managing get them to safety as Lapis and Mabel lost their concentration, making the giant block of ice fall finally, crushing flat the remaining monsters behind them.

The group moans in pain as they struggle to get up, though as soon as everyone does, Lapis is the first to speak up, absolutely shocked at the sight of her supposedly dead leader. "My, my, my Diamond?" She spoke, slightly tearing up. "Is that, that really.."

"Yes, no need to worry, my Lazuli." The little Diamond stopped her in mid sentence. "It is as I said, it takes more than a simple monster attack to break a Diamon.." The little Diamond is once again interrupted, this time by the sudden hug given to him by the blue water gem. It wasn't just a simple hug either, this hug, it was full of joy and compassion. Steven didn't even know where to begin with this. This, this display of emotion was out of no where, especially for Lapis. It was, well, he wanted to say it felt wrong, but, but their was a small, warmness he felt deep inside, something, like, like a feeling he hasn't felt in a long, long time.

' _It's okay, it's okay, little diamond.'_ a soft, kind voice said, playing back in Steven's head. ' _you, you will be great. You will be more than any of us will be. You'll grow up to rule the world.'_ It said, as Steven remembers its cool, gentle touch, similar to what he was experiencing right at this moment.

It felt like a lifetime, but finally, the water Gem got the hint that this was probably not the most ideal place or time to show off her affection for the Yellow ruler. "Oh, i'm, i'm sorry, my, my Diamond, I , I, I, was.." She struggled to say, not sure how the Diamond would respond.

"No, no, its, its okay, I, I appreciate your loyalty and conviction, my Lazuli." The Diamond blushed as he tried to get out of that awkward moment, much to the amusement of Dipper and Mabel, who were now struggling to hold in their giggles.

"N-not that this has been a moving experience for all of us.." The male twin let out, being the first to stop laughing. "But I believe that a moment ago you were dead. Oh, it felt good to dream for a moment." Dipper sighed with a smile, making Steven a little steamed.

"I'll ignore your insolence for the moment, for we have more pressing matters to deal with." The Diamond sternly said as he turned around. The block of ice was still there, clearly not going anywhere anytime soon, however, something caught the little guy's attention. It stuck out a of the ice, having been ejected as soon as it was smashed. It was small, gray, and had lots of colorful wires sticking out, but for the most part it looked completely intact. "These were no creatures of the sea at all." The Diamond pointed out, picking up the device to show everyone. "Whatever they were, they were mechanical in origin."

"So someone created a bunch of killer robots and had them surround the island?" Question Mabel. "Who in this town is crazy enough to do that?"

"The same person who wants us dead." Dipper said, having taken the device and examined it for himself. "This, this a tracking system, whoever sent these out," Dipper explained, breaking the device open a little, popping open a holographic image of the three kids, "were specifically targeting us."

* * *

"Why are you targeting us!" Garnet shouted at the top of her lungs, viciously jumping back and forth as she showed little resistance with all of her punches. "Why are you here after all this time? After all the pain and ruin your world caused my home! After all the death and decimation your kind left behind?!" She bellowed as every punch left cracks in the rock she was hitting.

Jasper barely managed to get up as Peridot began to target on the permafusion. "Like we'd say anything to you, you brutish war machine! Just know in the remaining moments your form is still stable, that yellow Diamond has big plans for Earth, and how to deal with clods such as yourself." She fires off her arm cannon, hitting exactly what she wanted. As the smoke appears, she gives a smug smile to the Jasper, until she see's that the fusion was still standing, more pissed off than anything. Garnet marches forward, with a scowl that could pierce the souls of even the most reserved of beings as Peridot begins to fire blast after blast, only for Garnet to catch every ball of energy with her hands, and somehow throw them all back at them with twice the force.

"Save your weak attempts. Let me show you how a REAL soldier attacks." The brutish quart brags on a she curls up in a ball, and began to glow until she entered her fiery spin attack. She charged directly at the crystal gem leader, determined to role her down. Garnet showed no hesitation as she looked straight at her incoming attack, and put out both of her hand, wide opened. She leaned forward, and caught the spin within he grasp. And giving her no time to recompose herself, she through the yellow serving quartz to the ledge. Jasper barely manages to reform to stop herself from falling into the molten pit.

"One last time. Where's Yellow Diamond!? Why is she here!?" Garnet demanded as she looked down on the fallen Quartz. Jasper most likely would've said something a little more unsavory, if it wasn't foe the ground breaking apart. As Garnet's attention was more focused on the downed Jasper, Peridot used this opportunity to blast the ground. It broke off from the ledge, sending Garnet into the fiery trap first. Jasper manged to jump above it, barely making it as the last of the rock fell.

"What the hell was that!? You almost destroyed me!"

"Ha, exactly, "almost." She snarled, turning her attention to the little crystal bug she held in her hand. "Its not my fault you make such an obvious target. Be grateful that I just so happened to have the knowledge and know how to utilize it fully. I was only doing as my Diamond said." She smirked as she put the geode beetle away. "Be faster on the uptake next time, and you might be slightly more useful.

"Just move out of here so we can get things back to normal." Jasper stated as she gritted her teeth. Both begun to make their way back to the ship, however, if they had stayed a little more, they would've noticed a little bubbling in the lava, as well as the arising of a fist as it tried to grasp on to something.

* * *

"No, no, no, noooo!" A disoriented voice on the lake front shouted. "It can't be, it just, how can..., just, just why!" He screamed as he held on to some sort of mini controller, and began to make a run for it. "They, they can't do this, they , they just, they just can't!" He ran as fast as he could, only to bump into something hard and sturdy. The man looked up, and saw the stern gazes of three children and a tall blue lady.

"I believe we can, and just did." Dipper dryly remarked. "Though what I don't understand is how you, a lake manager, could possibly do all of this." He said as the man, now revealed to be the lake manager from earlier, rose up, and began to slowly walk backwards.

"You, you little brats think that your the only people in town with resources?" The man snarled a little as he began to laugh. "My, my, my father, he, he knew that something about this town was off, so he made gadgets, machines beyond imagining, built them everywhere, built them all over town to defend against, against whatever darkness that lurked into this town." His whole body begins to shake as he laughs a little louder. "My, my father, the crazy hillbilly, who would've know that his work would ever come in handy!?"

"But, why send those thing after us!? Those looked like they were made.." Mabel began, only for the manager to speak up again.

"To kill you? Yes, that was exactly the point, duh." He completed, as if it should've been obvious. "Whatda'ya think I was going to do with them, gain attention from it?!" He said a little more manically. "My, my father told me about you people. about the evil that over took this town! Oh, how I laughed at him, I told him he was crazy, I, I told him he was a lunatic and that he should never, ever be in my life." He teared up as he continued. " I never saw him again after at, not, not after that faithfull day." He remembers as he takes the controller in his hands and points it at the group threateningly. "At first, oh at first I thought you were just brats with power, brats that did whatever they wanted with anyone's lives. I would've just turned the other way if it was that simple, but, but no. The more I thought about it, the more I thought about your words, the look in your eyes, the darkness, the evil intent." He snickered all the more as he flipped open a switch, which revealed a bright red button. "You people. You, you like to take people's lives, and squish them, you like to take them away, just like you did him!" He begins to sweat all over as he starts to break down mentally. "Just like you did my father! But, but now, this, this is all going to change! Right here.." He points to the red button with his thumb, "is a detonator for a bomb! It surrounds the lake and will destroy anything within a 4 miles radius, with you included!"

"You, you imbecile!" The little Diamond said, stepping up to the most likely insane man. "That'll kill you with it! And for what? Because you lost someone you weren't even sure that you loved!?"

"No, no! I loved, I loved my father, he, he, I, I..." The poor crazy man does even finish that thought as the little Diamond uppercuts him, knocking him back as he lets go of the remote, which the little Diamond manages to grab ahold of as he opens his mouth.

"Lazuli, Now!" He commands, as the water Gem reacts immediately. She summons another giant fist of water and commands it to grab ahold of the little man. Soon he was high above the water with the group being on the edge of the shore, watching as he struggled helplessly.

"Now tell me, where are the rest of those machines?" Dipper commanded. If their really was something out their, something worse than the little brat in front of him, then he needed any measure against it.

"You, you, haha, you don't even see it, do you?" The little man laughed as the group continues to stare up at him. "You don't even know what's coming. I , I get it now. Hahahah, hihihi, hohohohohooo" He manically snickered as the four continue to grow more confused. "It doesn't matter what I know, no matter what you do, no matter what is done, it will still happen, it is inevitable." He lifts up his eyes and stares deeply at the vilified group. "You will bring everything to ruin, and when it happens, I swear by my father's grave that you will all know to fear ..."

snatch

chomp.

crunch.

Whatever he was about to say, never made it out of his mouth as right then, a giant, serpent like creature arose from the water, and took one large bite at the dangling man in the air. He screamed for only a second as it engulfed him in its giant mouth. It splashed back down into the lake water, as if nothing had happened.

The group, save for the little Diamond, was shocked and dumbfounded by what they had just witnessed. None of them were prepared to see that. The Diamond, wasting no time, simply motioned his water Gem, and waved farewell as he walked. "Well, that has been a interesting excursion. I look forward to the next one. Good day, pines siblings."

As soon as they left the scene, Dipper regained his voice. "Did, did you hear what that man said to us? He, he was willing to kill us just to keep it all at bay. We, we we.." Dipper began to breathe a little loudly, however, Mabel covered his mouth.

"Dipper, did, did you mean what you said earlier? That, that you trusted me?"

Dipper slightly hesitates, but ultimately gives her his honest answer. "Y-yes, yes, I do."

"Then please, dear brother, let this go for now. We have enough on our plate with the mission and the whole Diamond thing. Lets, let us just rest for the moment, please." She said with a begging face.

"Alright, but we will talk about this tomorrow. Stanford set us on a path here, and I believe we've may have finally gotten off of square one." He smirks as both make their way back home. However, they both forgot about one certain thing.

"Hello?" The voice of Stanley cried out, still stuck in the boat floorboards. "Hey, can anyone hear me, the ship captain left and, and I think I have to use the restroom. Kid's? Blue lady? Anybody?"

* * *

"Are you sure you're alright my Diamond?" The water Gem questioned as soon as they got back to the ship entrance.

"I assure you, my Lazuli, I am fine. In fact, one could say I am, happy." He smiled as they both entered. "You did well today. You showed real conviction and loyalty. I'll be sure to note that in the future. You are dismissed for now." He waves her off, leaving the water gem silent, but with a slight smile on her face.

The smile on Steven's face did not last as he entered the main control room, where he was once again, met with the constant arguing of his Jasper and Peridot. The Diamond cleared his throat, which was all the motivation the two Gems needed to shut up and straighten out. "I take it your end of the task was eventful." He stated dryly.

Of course, the first to speak was the green technician. "Of, of course, my, my Diamond." She said nervously as she handed him the earth geode beetle. "We ran into one of the rebel's abominations, but the task was of little difficulty to us." She bragged on.

"Good, than I'll see to it you two are pared together more often." The Diamond stated as he snatched the beetle, leaving both Jasper and Peridot with dumbfounded faces. "If it was as easy as you said, than you two must make an effective pair. Don't disappoint me." He takes a small look at the earth beetle, before looking the controller he had snatched up from earlier. He breaks it into pieces with just a simple close of his hand, revealing bits of metal, plastic, wires, and a small, blue beetle in the middle of it. He grabs ahold of it with a smile. "I knew that this device had something unique about it." He smiled as he gathers both beetles, and forces them together. It takes a while, along with a small, white glow, but the two beetle eventually become one, circular orb with a metal stick pointing out of the side.

Jasper was the first to question this. "My Diamond, now that we've gathered both of the beetles, my I ask why they're so important? I don't see.."

"Exactly Jasper, you can't see, because you don't have vision." The Diamond simply states, making the brutish Quartz quiet. "Alone, the two beetle aren't much, just minor batteries and power sources, but together, they make something more." He smiles as he plugs it into the main computer. "Together, they make up a data drive about everything home world learned during the war. Future plans, weapon making, land markings, and most of all..." He says with a wicked smile. "everything we've ever gathered on the Crystal Gems." He laughs as the download nears completion. "Rest easy now, rebels, for soon, their will be nothing I wont know about you."

* * *

 _Hope that was enjoyable. This took me all night, and I'm burnt out._

 _Next time: shards and sleuths_


	7. Slueths and Shadows pt1

**Oh man, I did not mean to get this chapter out so late, so many new responsibilities now, so many things changing. Sometimes it sucks growing up.**

 **Looking back at the last chapter, I, I probably should go back and edit it more, I just had so much more to say on it, and I don't think I got what I wanted across. Hopefully this chapter isn't like that, because I spent an entire week working on this, so hopefully I fleshed out everything evenly.**

 **If you've noticed, i'm developing Steven's past a little more slowly than the twins, mostly because there is so much background on that, that putting it all out there would do it a disservice. Steven is my favorite character, so I hope I can do his character, whether an au or not, justice.**

 **I own nothing.**

* * *

Connie was never one to really pay attention to her view. By definition, she lived on one of the best spots in Gravity Falls, getting a view of everything the town had to offer. From the town, to the forests, and to the occasional flying animal made up of multiple miscellaneous and rather disturbing animal traits. Her focus was never on those that were deemed beautiful or eye catching.

The only thing she was looking at right now was the multiple holograms that Pearl had set out for her earlier. Usually the one arm Gem herself would be training her, often fighting each other in a dual of swords. But lately, ever since _she_ showed up, the Gems have been even more reclusive than usual, and this was coming from the team that often struck fast and hid faster. Garnet still hadn't return from her little escapade in the lava lake, and Pearl, she seemed to wander off every so often to some sort of place of solace.

Connie of course, filled the time with honing her skills, knowing that nothing else could be done, not with the threat ever so imminent and close. Not that she really did anything else. She swung the sword forward as she prepared to finish off the hologram. Her heartbeat was pumping fast, speeding up like a train in a railway. The more she prepared for the final blow, the more her heart sped. In her mind, she wasn't even seeing the holo-pearl anymore. It was that, that thing. It was the ominous monster that had haunted her dream for so many years.

It was the big, yellow Diamond.

She drove her sword forward as she impaled the construct of light in the head, driving it even deeper as if to ensure it stayed down. The hologram disappeared shortly after that, still leaving Connie in a state of anger. No matter what she did, it was never enough. No matter how many Holograms she slashed, no matter how many monsters she'd maim, no matter how many Gems she poofed, it was never enough. She would always feel that drive, that anger, that fire in her to finally destroy...

crunch.

A step. From right behind her. A sneak attack? Big Mistake.

Connie, acting solely on impulse, lower he body as she swept-kick the invader to its back. Quickly getting back to her feat, she aimed her sword slowly to the ground, once again ready to put down whatever it was that dared to attack her. To her surprise, not that she showed any at all, she finds something that mildly confuses her at best. It was a boy, young looking, probably by about two years. He had a big bush of messy white hair that just went in crazy places due to the pine tree hat on his head. He was slightly chubby with an orange shirt and a dark blue vest over him. He had a look of worry and shock as he stared at the blade that threaten to pierce his face. Connie and the kid stare at each other for about a good two minutes, not saying a word.

Finally, Connie lowers her sword down, seeing as he was no threat. The boy picks himself up as he chuckles nervously at the situation. "O-h, th-at, that was, that was sure something. Do you do that with every friendly face, heh?" The kid smiles weakly as he tries to lighten the mood. Connie just continues to stare at him like he was crazy.

"Who are you and why are you here? This isn't exacly a place for humans to be." Connie bluntly points out.

"Oh, I, a, wait, what do you mean by human, aren't you.." The kid tries to question, only for the dark skinned girl to raise her sword up slightly, signaling that she wanted a answer, and nothing but an answer. "R-ight, right i'll get to that. "I'm, i'm Gideon Gleeful." He sticks out his hand, hoping Connie would return the gesture. Connie doesn't pay heed to it and ignores the sign entirely, making things even more awkward for the kid. "And, and I, ah, well, I found this." He reaches into the confines of his vest, pulling out a dusty red book with a golden had on it. "It, it mentions something about guardians that live on this peak, on I was hoping that I could help in some way." He stated, making the dark skinned girl lean in all the more with curiosity.

* * *

Dipper mind replayed all the events from that day in head over an over. Nothing was making sense with it. That man right there, the lake manager, was willing to destroy everything just to end them, trying to hide some sort of dark truth. It both pleased and plagued the boy. What it meant was that their Great Uncle had been right about the real power that laid before them, though it irked him that someone else out their in this town knew too. And who was to say that he was the only that knew the truth as well. The words, trust no one, echoed in his head, not to sure what this really meant.

"Oh Diamond, it pleases me that you've taken the time to visit our humble abode." The twin sister to the dark little boy spoke with false, yet somehow convincing, humility as she lead the little tyrant through the tent that the twins currently occupied in. Dipper rolled his eyes at that sight. Somehow, the flirty brunette had convinced the soulless space leader to witness today's show, and Mabel was to enthusiastic for words when he agreed. In fact, she ended up getting so excited that she lost control of her powers and accidently launched a truck into the air. It ended up landing near one of the towns diners. No one died, but their were plenty of casualties, as seen by the surplus of ambulances that came in that morning. The most minor casualty was sustained by the diner's owner, who lost her entire left eye.

"I still see no need for all these, theatrics. If one is to show true power, than you need to show it through dominance and force. Why hide your true capabilities?" The diamond asked.

"Of course, I wouldn't expect the one who sticks out like a giant banana to understand the importance of subtlety." The male twin mocked. "This town is filled with power beyond our understanding, and yet these ignorant fools fail to see it. If we're to seek and claim it as our own, we cannot let anything to chance. That's the true purpose of these shows, to give the people the taste of magic to stop them from looking for the real thing."

"Oh really?" The Yellow ruler said in a sort of challenging voice. "Are you sure it isn't because you're too weak to truly show any real power." He gives off a wicked smirk. The alliance maybe be in place, but that didn't stop the two from butting heads constantly. In fact, it just gave them more of a reason to fight.

"Hold your tongue, Diamond. Or I may be forced to forget subtlety and forced to embrace the wonders of brutality."

"You? Brutal? You strike as much fear as stardust. None at all and easy to ignore at all times."

"What about you? You look like a baby covered in spray paint and dress like your gong ballroom dancing."

"Better to look young and royal rather than royally weak and pathetic."

"Oh, then I guess it doesn't take much of a person to save your sorry hide." Dipper smirks, thinking he'd finally got him.

"Yeah, too bad that that person WASN'T you, or else, we'd both would've met our end by now." Diamond countered, motioning the female as she joined the yellow tyrant in laughter. Both dark children laugh as they leave the frustrated male with nothing but his own failure to one up the tyrant. He growled in anger as he clenched his fist in blue fire.

"Ah, mister pines, sir?" An older, female voice chipped in.

"WHAT!?" Dipper yelled darkly as he turned around, firing the blue ball of flames at the source of the voice. He eyes glowed bright blue as the pupils disappeared, making it al the more scary to look at.

"Ah, ah, ah.." The voice stammered as it shook in fear. The source was a very tall teenage girl, about 16 years old. She was in a gray, business like suit with a slightly short black mini skirt, along with stockings and shiny black shoes. She wore a necklace with a small green jewel on her neck. She was a red head with long hair, though you couldn't really tell because it was neatly combed and wrapped up in a bun. She slowly rose from the little clipboard that she hid behind, being burnt and broken apart by the blast of fire. She rose, shivering as she cautiously came up to her employer.

"I, I got today's finances and costs covered. The bank, j-us, just needs y-you to sign the documents. A-nd, and today's meeting with town hall has been moved to the next hour." She stated, hoping that she didn't say anything to justify any more fireballs.

"Thank you, Corduroy." The male twin said darkly, albeit a little more calmly as the red headed teenager ran away quickly before he could give out anymore threats. Dipper just growled quietly as he mentally cursed at himself for that little outburst.

"You're going to mess up one day, Diamond. And when that day comes, I'll see to it that it'll be me to end you."

* * *

"Seriously, why must you ally yourself with such a weakling?" The yellow tyrant asked as both he and Mabel walked outside. They had finished laughing at Dipper's expense as they merged with an entire crown of people. It was almost time for another show, and as always, nearly the entire town came. Mabel had been told by her brother to sit out this show, something about clearing his head or something. Not that Mabel minded, in fact, she welcomed it. Sure it meant that she couldn't get away with torturing people in front of a live audience, but it gave her time to hang out with her new husba, ah, she meant friend. She signed fondly as she allowed her imagination to run wild. Oh, how she remembered the sweet words he had said to her this mourning when she invited him.

 _"oh Diamond, will you do this girl the honor of being by your side for today's show?"_ She asked very dramatically as she motioned her body in a swooning like fashion.

She had asked this when he was on the outside of his ship, toying around with the flash drive he had received from the two geode beetles. _"Come own you infernal contraption!"_ He yelled as he repeatedly shocked the device . _"Reveal to me my enemy's secrets!"_ He just so happen to barely tune in Mabel's request as his attention was completely diverted somewhere else. " _Sure, whatever you want."_ He said as he tossed his device to the side in anger. " _Your company would be better than decrypting all of that accursed data."_

 _'Oh, he actually appreciates my presence.'_ She now thought lovingly as she leaned by his side, holding on to his firm and hard arm tightly, something that he doesn't even seem to notice. "Eh, my dear brother may be weak in body and to be honest, he has the strength of a newborn baby, but he is one of the smartest people I know when it comes to magic and all things weird. Its good to have someone like him around, he's the only one around here that can truly make any sense out of everything." She leans in even closer, making them appear more like a married couple. "But you seem to understand everything strange around here, don't you?"

"Indeed." The little Diamond spoke with a little pride in his voice. "Being taught by the finest of my court's elite prepared me to handle almost any situation to come my way, not to mention that this particular region has had quite a few, tales and superstition surrounding it." He slowly lifts up his head a little more. Its been like that ever since the day I was conceived."

"So I take it you've never seen anything like this before, huh? A show displaying effects and power?"

"Well, my world is different. Yes occasionally the Pearls will be demanded to display little dances and songs to full any elites desire for entertainment, but none of that has ever been a objective in my priorities. The only entertainment I gain now is through the torment and suffering of anyone that crosses me."

"Believe me, I know what that feels like." Mabel said ever so slyly as she finally let got of the Diamond's arm and swung herself in front of his view, "That's why it can get sooooo booring now preforming with my brother on stage." She expressed a little too dramatically. "I mean, he's good, but what's the point of displaying that power if you don't use it to hurt anyone inferior? I mean, last week one of the audience members threw a tomato at me, so I, painfully mind you, turned his entire body in piles and piles of tomatoes."

This actually seemed to get the little diamond to smirk a little. "Ah, a fitting punishment for someone clearly too stupid to even breathe the same air as someone of your caliber."

'oh how hot can this guy get?' She thought to herself. "I know, right? And the best part is, he's still conscious. I had him swept away and put into the kitchen. I taunt him every other day or so, slicing away his body one by one. I'm pretty sure his arm has already passed through my stomach by now." She snorts in wicked amusement.

"Ha, that tale mildly reminds me of the time one of my quartzes failed to follow proper protocol. There I was, just doing one of my weekly inspections of my ranks, when one of them decided to out of the blue fall flat on their face." He says. If someone where to look at it through any perspective except the Diamond's, it was pretty clear that what really happened was that all the soldiers were so frantic by the visit of their diamond that one of them bumped into each other, accidently knocking one of their own down as they lined up to salute their leader, not that it would've made a lick of difference if he knew otherwise. "To think, one of my own actually had the gull to act so disorderly, to display such off color behavior, in front of me? I'd admire it if it wasn't so pathetically weak. Oh how she screamed when I had her shattered. It wasn't a quick end either. I personally had all of the other watch her gem cracking, piece by piece, for the next 16 hours." He explained evily as the grin on his fave got all the more menacing. "I had I recorded for, motivational purposes of course, can't have any of my ranks forget it."

Mabel was at a loss of words. Such pain, such disregard for life, such enjoyment of suffering in pain. How in the world had they not met sooner? She was convinced more than ever that she had met her sole mate. Oh how this was joyous day indeed. This would be the story that they told their grandchildren. _'oh I remembered the days of old."_ She imagined an elderly version of herself saying to two young kids. ' _we spent every moment together, reminiscing on torture stories and plans for global domination. Oh the romantic he was.'_

"Step right up, come one, come all, to witness the eighth wonder on the world!" A high sounding, slightly southern voice pitched in from out of nowhere, knocking Mabel out of her daydream as both kids stare at the source of the commotion. A roundish looking man wearing some sort of red suit with black question marks covering his entire body. He had no hair on his head and a cheerful face as he advertised some sort of stand. Behind him, were some a lot of statues made out of wax. Each of them seem to be a significant figure of the past, either fictional or non, from George Washington to Huckleberry Finn. "To the mystery shack. Come by and be amazed by our revelations of the unknown, and be wowed by our merchandise, only half off for the kids and a free soda with every fifth purchase! And hurry, the Mystery Shack Wax Museum of historic wonder and enchantment will be closing shortly, so come on soon." The cheerful man shouted as the crowds of people passed, only a small handful of people actually paying heed to him. Both kids looked at the sight, completely unimpressed.

"Why is that human trying to attract a crowd when he's clearly failing at it?" Steven said in complete confusion.

"Uhh, that's Bud Gleeful." Mabel said with annoyance as she rolled her eyes. "Nothing more than a pest, though one that appears way too often. Every month or so he tires to market of his wax museum in his 'mystery shack'." Both come to his booth as the happy man greets them with a rather off putting smile.

"Why, hello. If it isn't my neighbor slash one half of my friendly business rival, Mabel Pines." He said gleefully as his attention is then diverted to the little tyrant. "And what have we here? Is this handsome little gentlemen you boyfriend?Ah, is nice to see the heart so open, especially in people so young."

Mabel began to blush furiously. This guy was even worse than Stanley. Before She could lash out him, the little Diamond grabbed on to his shirt collar and pulled him down to his level. Staring down at the bigger man, he began to threaten him.

"Listen closely meat sack, I have no heart. I am the ruler of my court, the most fearsome of any army you could imagine. I faced battles that would break men like you to nothing but dust. Once I decide on something, I ensure that it will happen, no matter what I have to do in order to get it done. So I'd keep that in mind the next time you even think of belittling me." He spoke before letting him go. Both Mabel and Bud stared in slight awe as the former focused on how much more dreamy the tyrant had become in a matter of seconds while the latter rub his neck as he tried to breathe a little easier.

"Heh, well, I , I will be sure to, keep that in mind." He slowly said, now knowing to be afraid of the boy in you. His attention once again turn to the show girl. "Nice to know you keep good company."

"What do you want, Gleeful? Our show is about to start and your little tour is blocking the path of out customers." She said.

"Now, now, no need to get feisty. We're all friends here." He said calmly. "This is what I've been trying to talk about for a while. I figured that we're both me, eh, people of business. We both provide goods and entertainment to the people of Gravity Falls, and we're the biggest money makers in the town."

"Yeah, we both are." Mabel said mockingly, knowing fully well what the man was getting at. For the past month, Bud had been trying to engage in some sort of shared business venture with the twins, thinking that it would amount to quantifiable success for the both of them. Even if the idea didn't interfere with their Great Uncle's plan, they wouldn't want dead weight like Bud to hand around them. As if his kind and gentle nature was off putting enough, he gave at least a third of all his earnings to the needy, and the least thing the Pines kids were was Charitable. Not to mention that his 'Mystery Shack' was really, really poorly run and made.

"We've went through this before Gleeful, we aren't now, nor will we ever be interested in a merger. We are rivals as you said, and we wont stop until we've put you place out of business. So good day." She said as she made her point all the more known by using her amulet. With a single flick of a wrist, she made the head of the wax figure behind him, a model of Abraham Lincoln, and made it burst in a waxy and sticky mess. The two kids let out a small demeaning laugh as they walk away.

Bud sighed as he began to wipe of the wax on him. "Things may come to those that wait, but only the things left in a hustle." He quoted as he began to sweep it away.

Not to far in the distance, Gideon Gleeful, walking slightly in a rush as he tried to keep up with his newest friend. Well, friend was a bit of a strong word for them, more like a little annoying boy was constantly following a sword welding girl around despite many threats made beforehand, or at least, that what Connie would've described it as.

"C-c-connie! Connie, wait up!" The out of breathe boy shouted as he trailed behind the taller girl. "I, I know you think I'm annoying, but, but, but I can really help you guys with this. Look the Journal.."

"Listen Kid." The girl came to an abrupt halt as the boy stumbled to stop his feet. He almost fell over and on the dark skinned girl, something that he found very fortunate. The girl gave off an intimidating aurora, and she already threaten him with a sword once already, and he wasn't very keen an her following through on it. "I know you think your smart, but brains isn't enough to handle the dangers this town dishes out. Out there in those woods, you have trolls that wont rest until your face is torn off, werewolves that can shred your body to string in the time it takes you to blink. And that's not even covering the worst of it." Connie warned as she turned her head. "If I were you, I'd burn that book. Some things in this world are better left unknown." She walked off in frustration. "I've already wasted enough time today humoring you. A bunch of shadow specters are on the lose, and if I don't do anything, expect to live in a town with a bunch of cold, unfeeling and brain dead drooling idiots." She disappeared into the crowd as Gideon sighed in defeat.

Ever since the summer started, he's been wanting to find adventure and mystery. He had always been the type to explore anything that went unexplained. Its what he always wanted to do. Its what he need to do. Ever since his parent's divorce, he had to focus his mind on something in order to forget about the experience. It wasn't a bad or violent break up, in fact, it was rather peaceful. Once it was said and done, that was the end of it. Nothing more, nothing less.

He didn't know why it was, only that both of his parents were perfectly contempt with it. This here, this was his first summer with his dad ever since the divorce, and he didn't know how to feel about it. He didn't really blame them anything, mostly because he didn't even know why it was to begin with, though that didn't make anything less weird or uncomfortable at the dinner table, especially with his Dad keeping his same old chipper demeanor. Fortunately, this town always seemed to be ripe with mystery, so the more mystery that appeared before him, the more time he had to avoid his dad.

Unfortunately, it looks like this particular mystery wouldn't be solved anytime soon. He had hoped that he could get some explanation about the Gem creatures that appeared in the book, but it looked like his only connection to them wanted nothing...

Wait. Did she just say shadow specters?

Gideon immediately began to flip in his book, knowing full well that one of them seem to have information on that particular monster. He found it and immediately began to read through all of it.

"She's, she's not prepared to fight those things!" He shouted in shock as he ran in the direction she went. "Connie, wait! There's something that you need to know!"

* * *

"I see that you've taken my little lessons to heart there." The yellow ruler acknowledge as both kids made their way to the top of the crowd. As the little Diamond promised, he had helped the female twin with gaining control of her amulet. At first, Mabel didn't really give them much thought, even if she was spending more time around the object of he desire. But soon, after realizing that she could impress him with the amount of power he said she was capable of welding, so began to take them a little more seriously.

"Of course! I've have so much more control over this thing. Watch." Mabel pressed against her amulet once more as she focused her power on a man with long and luscious black hair right next to his girlfriend. The mans body began to glow as all of his hair began to stick up. The man groaned in pain as he felt every strand of hair on his body being pulled against him. He began to shout for help as he felt his flesh feel like it was going to jump off of him.

As a handful of people began to surround themselves at the sight of the man in pain to try and help, Mabel raised her right had slightly, and flicked her index finger up. The next thing people knew, they saw every strand of hair on the mans body, whether it be head or eyebrow, yanked of the man as he limped to the ground. It was not a quick pain either, as actually patches of flesh from all over his body were yanked off as well. He began to bleed all over as the girlfriend cried in grief and tried to get someone to call 911. Both kids stepped aside to this scene as the tyrant watched the little display with slight approval.

"I say, that was a rather interesting show of power. Maybe you humans aren't as incapable of a species as I thought." He joked seriously as they both stared at each other, eye and eye.

For once in the life of Mabel, the girl that always was in a hurry to get to the next thing, the one that was always complaining about life not going fast enough, she wanted time to stop indefinitely. In this moment, time felt like it slowed down for her, just so that she could enjoy this moment. She stared at someone that was like her, sarcastic, dominating, powerful, no nonsense or tolerance towards anyone they didn't like. Sure, one of those people happened to be her brother, but who ever wanted to listen to him anyway?

Finally, it dawned on her, this was her chance to take him. One smooth move and he, her Diamond in the rough, would finally be hers for the taking. So slowly, she leaned in closely. She took a step forward and prepared to strike. Oh yes, finally, this would..

ZAP!

Before Mabel could plant her kiss, before even the Diamond could figure out exactly what she was doing in the first place, a jolt of electricity flowed right between them. Both looked to she exactly what exactly tried to fry them like fired chicken.

"You know, dear sister, the next time you want to hang so close to scum, at least allow me to, purify it of anything infectious." The two looked upon the threatening male twin as he held in his arms some sort of long, silver cylinder type device in his hand. He then got out microphone and gave out an announcement. "The show will being in the next 2 minutes, so unless you don't feel like engaging in the marvels of the universe, than step right in to the Pavilion of Power!" He walks up to the little diamond and speaks through the Microphone once more. "See you at the front row. I'll be waiting." He said with a smirk as he walked away. The Diamond and the female twin were left confused as both joined in with the crowds of people and began to walk in to the tent.

Mabel didn't say it, but it was clear that she was furious. He brother often offed people that even attempted to get anywhere near her, and it was often quite amusing seeing her brother go off the rails every once in a while, but, this, this was completely her own choice. She would have words with him later.

It took quite a while, but eventually, everyone managed to fine their own spot and place. While everyone else was fast and eager to sit down in whatever spots that they literally fought and bit for, the two kids, mainly the yellow tyrant, were less motivated to their spot in the front row. The smirk he had on his face, as well as that, weapon, he seemed to carry. The diamond did not like this one bit. He wanted to know what that fleshbag was up to, and exactly why it concerned him.

The stage lit up with a stupidly high amount of flashy light and even a bit of smog machines, which of course the audience ate up, something to the befuddlement of the little diamond.

"Why are they appraising this? He hasn't even shown himself yet, and yet they worship him like their king?"

"Trust me, out of every mystery this town has, that might be the one that'll never be solved." Mabel replied.

The crowds cheer only grew once the pine boy himself appeared. In a rather showy manner, he popped in the midst of the stage in a twirling ball of blue fire. He smugly smiled out to the audience as he held out his arms in a welcoming manner.

"Hello, hello residents of Gravity Falls! Welcome to another showing of the Pavilion of Power. I am your host, Dipper Pines, the midnight mystifier! "

"Oh bother, I thought I told him to drop that name!" Mabel irked at the name her brother had picked out for himself.

"He must really be delusional if he expects anyone to ever respect a title as ridiculous as.." The diamond began to berate, only to be drowned out by even more cheering. "I hate this place." He murmured, with the female twin only nodding in agreement.

"Now I know that you seek wonders beyond you feeble comprehension." The boy started as the lights in the tent dimmed a little, all the spotlights being pointed down on him. "I know we crave to gaze upon the very power that holds this universe together." His hands started to glow blow once more, though this time, there was something different about it. It was the same flaming, burning glow that his fire gave out, and it wasn't the same amulet glow either, since that was with Mabel. No, the Diamond especially observed, the way that the glow came up, it seemed to, surge, right to him.

The glow only got more powerful as the grin that bore on the male twins face grew even more confident. As he showed off his smile, he whirled back a little, and threw out his right arm, sending a familiar looking blue streak of electricity on the air. The crowd watched in awe as he explained further.

"My friends, after years of trial and error, as well as a lot of love and support from you all.." he said with false sympathy as the audience d'awed at it, making both Mabel and Steven roll their eyes. " I have finally found a way to harness, Lightning." He shows off his prowess once more by making a stream of energy between his two hand above his head. "At long last, the elements of the sky no longer bear any hold on me. From now own, I command the power that they once held over me, over all of us!" This sent the crowds in a frenzy of applause. And of course, the only ones not buying into the sentimental garbage he was spewing out was the two dark kids, the sister rolling her eyes in slight annoyance while her companion held on to a stern look, one that made you aware he was mad, but didn't give off any clues to the intentions it would lead to.

"Hm, well I got to say, its flashier than I thought he would go, but the hook he used was a nice touch, what'aya think diamond?" She turned her head to his seat, only to find it empty. "Diamond?"

"And now.." The boy continued as he soaked up all the praise and attention he was receiving. That was only the plus side of this. If he timed it just right, than he would be interrupting anytime now. "I shall weild this power to bring us into a new.."

"Of all the insufferable gull!" The voice of the tiny tyrant ran though the air as his shot a blast right at Dipper. Said boy drops the stance he was in and moves to his left, narrowly dodging the blast. Steven made his way to the center of the stage where he confronted Dipper face to face, his left arm still surging with energy. "I've put up your insolence for the sake of my goals, but you have crossed the line!" He raised his left arm, fully making it aware to everyone in the crowd, who all leaned in with curiousity. "To claim my power, the power of Yellow Diamond, as yours, to announce yourself as its master!?" He them lights the air with his own energy, making everyone awe at the sight. "You don't even know the true power of a diamond. It is a power that's existed long before life on this miserable rock was even a concept."

"Oh look everyone!" Dipper said a little too dramatically, even for the taste of Mabel, who was starting to piece together what Dipper was doing now. "It looks like we have someone trying to be the next mystifier! Oh, isn't that cute everyone? Lets give him a nice applause." The show boy mocked as the audience did as they were told. The Diamond did not expect that, but as the clapping continued, it only proceeded to make the diamond even more angry. Everything about that, felt so, so, so degrading.

"I've already spared one human today for demeaning my existence." He says as he sparks up his fists and prepares a fighting stance. "I won't make the same mistake a second time." He launches two balls of sparks at the show boy, he closes his eyes and simply places his hands forward. And in a rather shocking turn, for the diamond at least, he catches them both, before directing them back to the audience. It ended up landing on one unfortunate soul. The first ball stooped his heartbeat, with the second one reviving it. All of this just feed the crow with more and more awe.

Dipper watched in amusement as the diamond looked in befuddlement. "Insulated gloves. It was the first thing that I came up with to match up you powers." He mocked as he spoke in a tone only the diamond could hear. "Not bad for a first try. Either that, or I put way too much concern in those little static shocks of yours." He mocked as he once again turned to the audience. "Look everyone, junior here manage to give me a boost. Lets all praise him as I show him what I can really do." Throwing up his arms again, he threw out a whole stream of energy, but this one was different. It had multiple sparks and colors that seemed to just explode in the awe. Not one member of the audience dared to turn away at the sight, except maybe those who eye's were going blind from to much exposure to the brightness.

The little Diamond didn't even offer a retort as he launched a stronger attack at Dipper. He created a stronger stream, made sure that extra force was put into this once. Dipper smirked again as this time he held out his right arm, clenching his fist as the stream made contact with his hand. Soon, the stream of electricity was gone, as if nothing was their to begin with.

"Heh. Impressive, no." The show boy took his shirt and pointed to something black and silver underneath his coat. "I'd figured that that little rock attached to you acts as a sort of battery for your powers, so I created one of my own. I'm wirelessly connected to a generator of my own design that can absorb every attack you send out like a sponge. But the best part of all that electricity.." He demonstrated as he powered up his hands again, and he sent it out to one of the sandbags above them. He burned the rope off, and soon, it came crashing down on the little diamond. He took the hit, rubbing his head as he continued to look at Dipper in anger."...is what I can do with it afterwords. And the last shock that you've gave me, by my guess, was enough to power up half the town." He smirked as he once again waved his hands, this time surrounding himself in an entire field of electricity. This was impressive enough on its own, at least, it was to the crowd of people, but soon, it began to move more and more, swirly around everywhere as it picked up what seemed to be tiny traces of metal. Dipper whirled his hands to motion the electricity field towards the younger boy, and actually surrounds human the field.

"You know, the best thing about electricity, is the many uses it has. With but a simple motion, I can manipulate their magnetic alignments, and move them to my will. And even better.." He simple flicked out of his fingers at once, making the field of electricity and metal enclose on him, trapping the little Diamond in what appeared to be a net of energy. "I can shape it to my desire. Face it, runt, your out of your depth here."

The diamond wasn't one to stand at this, this mockery of his powers, the mockery of yellow diamond. "You, you are crossing the line here. Do you really think that your impressing anyone with this, imitation of Yellow Diamond's power? Your just a sad, pathetic worm that feeds off the praise of others. Without them, without this, flashy display of magic, you're nothing. You are nothing!"

"Nothing?" Dipper snorted at that retort. He walks up closer to the little tyrant. "I'm nothing? Your the one on another planet, your the one being laughed and scoffed at here. Your the one trapped by 'the might yellow diamond's power', which for the record, isn't that great. Any simpleton could do the same with a light switch." As the cheer of the audience grew, he got up in his ear, and whispered very mockingly in it. "Face the fact, you may as well be god on your planet, but right here, on my world, i'm the master controller. How does that sound, you defective pile of rubble?"

' _you defective pile of rubble!"_ A voice ringed in Steven's head upon hearing those words. _'you can never be anything. You are not a diamond. Your hardly more gem than the common Pearl."_ The voice taunted. Steven's eyes widen as he tries to free himself, with each struggle he felt the heat of the net run against him, seeping deeper and deeper into his flesh. The smell of burnt skin was not lost on the audience as the diamond ignored it. "I, I will end you! I will no longer tolerate you mockery, your utter insolence of my proud legacy."

"Proud legacy? Its must be anything but proud if you happen to be the end result of it. Oh whoever came before you must be so disappointed now. They must've hated themselves to let an abomination such as yourself to even exist.."

pow

Steven didn't let him finish. For all of that dialogue, Steven painfully was able to free his right arm. And as soon as he was within his range, he delivered a right hook to his face. The crowd gasped in shock as Mabel herself went slack jawed. Dipper took a moment to process what had happened. He wiped off his mouth a little. Apparently the little diamond managed to shed a little blood.

Dipper gave the diamond a blank expression as he backed away further. "You know, we all saw what happens when you send yours at me." He smiled wickedly as he waved his arms once more. "Now lets see what happens when I send mine at you." And with a simple motion of the fingers, all the electricity surrounding the diamond. "A simple circuit shock would be enough to stop the heart. But I'm sending enough wattage to fry it into nothing but dust."

The diamond himself said nothing as the electricity flowed throw his body. It surged through him like water. It even left some sort of trail though his veins as it moved around his body. Aside from the growing heat that was on the surface of his body, nothing seemed to bother or hurt him. Somehow in someway, this position he was in was all too familiar.

The electricity finally reached his brain, which made him ponder to something he hadn't even meant to think about. It was, it was all too familiar, but what, what was it?

' _he's never going to reach her level as long as we be little him like this!"_ That same dominant and angry voice rang through his head. He didn't know why it was familiar, or why it seemed to be angry at, at whatever it was.

 _'he can't handle that, its, its too much for his body to take.'_ the calmer, more soft voice came in again. _'we've already lost one of our own, we cannot push this on her.., on him. We can't keep pushing her legacy like this.'_

 _'If he dies, than he dies. If he can't survive this, than he has no right to bare our name, to bare her name!"_

The voices stopped but they memories kept sinking in. Over and over again in his mind, he would see flashes and flashes of light, the same feeling, that same surge that coursed through his veins at this very moment. But it, he remembers it feeling, different. He remembered it feeling, something bad, something, painful.

But as of that moment, feeling, remembering all that pain, it mad him angry, Being mocked, being demeaned, it made him angry. And as he stared deep into the eyes of the smirking male twin, he knew exactly where all of that anger needed to go.

Rising from his fallen state, he force himself back on his feet as he brought himself forward. Steven stuck out his own arm as Dipper's own electricity attack continued to course though his body. Then the diamond did something that no one, not even Dipper expected. Closing his hand into a fist, he was somehow able to grab on to the stream of energy as if it were a rope. Even more surprising , he made a pull forward, and ripped the electricity out of the machine Dipper was using, and had it hand down a little as if the little Diamond was holding a chain. The electricity still flowed all throughout Steven's body as he came closer to the show boy.

"You think that this is pain, that this is torture, that this pathetic show of abilities is something to kneel upon?!" He shouted he launched the electric rope forward, snapping it like a whip. Dipper dodged it as Steven' attack connected to one of the show lights, exploding upon the impact it made.

"Let me tell you something about pain and power!" The little diamond snapped as he pulled back the electric rope-like stream. "I've had to live through both of those all my life! Ever since they day I was concepted, this 'rock', has been charging pure power within my body, more power than I could ever handle at the time!" Breathing heavily, he focuses on his other arm, channeling more of the electricity in his body into another rope-like stream.

"Day and night, I had this power flowing though me, and everyday, I had to endure every shock, every spark, every wattage of power that coursed within. My body is like a living reactor, always charging, never stopping, no matter how much my body wanted to give out." He winds back both of his arms. "You think you understand this power? You think this power is under your mastery? Then allow me to give it back!"

Reeling his arms forward again, he straightens out the streaks of energy, once again becoming the deadly beams of electricity that they were meant to be. Dipper, not one to just let it hit him, let out his own electric attack as both stream made contact, flaring up brighter and brighter as they seemed to stalemate in power.

Meanwhile, from behind the stage, was he generator that Dipper spoke about. It was an impressive designer, even more so if Dipper's claims of building it himself were true. Their was a certain nob on the machine as well as some sort of power measure that kept the machine stable. A shadowy figure appeared above it, no on noticing it as the figure brought out some sort of blunt object. It reeled its arms back as it prepared to bring it down on the machine.

Back with Dipper, the male twin was now starting to sweat a little. Clearly he had underestimated how much power the brat had with him. No problem, his plan had yielded way more success than he anticipated. He got the diamond to really unleash what he had, so now Dipper knew exactly what he was dealing with. Humiliating the little brat while doing so was unnecessary, but more enjoyable, especially by doing it in front of a live audience. All he needed to do was go back and tweek the machine a little more, and the diamond would be kneeling before him. He smiled a little as he prepared to suck up the diamond's attack and call it a day.

"Alright, this charade as gone far enough. Its time to give the audience the finale that they've been waiting for!" He announced as he prepare to absorb the attack. But something doesn't go right. As he lets his guard down for a second, he notices his arms getting a little warm. He looks at them, and realizes that it started to burn a hole in the sleeves of his coat. His eyes widen.

'No, this, this can't be?! I,, I accounted for energy overload! There's go to be an explanation!" He mentally screamed in horror as he felt the output of the blast begin to become more unstable.

"Stop!" He shouted to his oppose. "If we cease our attacks now, then I might just be able to stop the machine from.."

Of course, the little diamond pays no heed to his words as he advanced his own attack even more. "You think I'll ever yield to you!? That I would ever belittle myself to such a state!?" His very eyes seem to spark and surge with electricity as he pressed on. "I am a Diamond! I yield to. NO. ONE!"

All anyone remembered after that, was the sound of an explosion, as well as a huge flash of light that engulfed the entire pavilion.

* * *

Connie made sure to dive deep into the woods. Not just to fulfill the task at hand, but to further herself from the gleeful kid. She had no real problem with him to be honest, he was just too curious for his own good. Connie thought like that once, feeling the curiosity in her mind, in awe of the marvelous sights that dared awaited her. Of course, that was before she discovered a little thing called reality.

This town, there was nothing to enjoy about it. Everything, from the biggest of trolls to the smallest of sprites, everything could end you in a second. Nothing was to be discovered, only contained, controlled, and if needed, destroyed.

Maybe if she stuck to that, maybe if she believed it was all their was, than maybe nothing bad could ever happen to her again.

She sighed as she herd a rustle in the wind. She prepared her stance as she notice the rustle in the wind. Shadow Specters were notoriously good sneaks. Like their name, they were like the shadows, always blending in the background, dark, and hard to grab a hold of.

swish

One just flew by her. Connie, with all of the strength she had, swung at the direction it was coming at. She swings at nothing but air.

She growls in frustration. The gems told her that they often had trouble fighting these things, but nothing they said told them why. Apparently these sneaky suckers were really, really fast.

swish

Another one comes by. Connie feels its presence, this one was even bigger then the last. She takes a swing, a little earlier this time, not wanting to let this one slip by.

She got a good look at it as she did. It, it didn't really seem to have a definite shape. It was massive, that's what she was sure of. It was all dark, on what she assumed was the head was some semblance of a mouth, though it looked like the teeth and the mouth on it were one, not even having any lips. It had no eyes or ears, and no legs either, just some snake like tail thing, she assumed that's were the specter part of the name came from. Its skin, if you could call it that, was dark, dark, pitch black dark, and if you were to look closer, it seemed to flow like a river, constantly moving in one direction. Connie tried to ignore the sight before and carry through why she came here in the first place.

slash

The sword had made contact. It was swift as if was silent. Connie barely felt any resistance as she ran the blade across the night-like body. She turned back, hoping that she would see the specter in agony as the body slowly died and disappeared.

It didn't. The creature stood where it was, completely unfazed by the weapon the pierced it. It stood their, with no apparent damage as it flew right through her, passing through her body like it was a sponge, easy to come in, and easy to come out.

She shivered as that attack made her fall to the ground. It felt, cold, like something was being ripped from her body, something warm, something that she needed. She felt a lot less like herself, less energized, less focused. She struggled to get up, as she picked up her sword. This was not going to stop her.

She comes up, and prepares to attack the creature once again. She had nothing to lose.

That's what she always told herself. And every time she did, she became more and more sure that it was true.

She had nothing.

She, was nothing. b

* * *

Once again, the twins, or more accurately, Dipper, had to announce another "mishap" with the equipment, and that everything was under control, despite the numerous amounts of casualties saying otherwise. Of course, that was not without giving away free merchandise and tickets to future shows to calm the masses, who seemed more then eager to except the terms. There was one guy who threated to call safety inspection, and now at the moments Dipper had him tied up and gagged as he tried to find the right kind of monster to make a deal with.

"Look, I know that this is so sudden, and soon considering the last time, but this guy really needs to go and I'm out of options here." He said as he talked into his hand, which once again was on fire. "Hey, you're the one benefiting here, why more could you want?" A voice murmured from his hand, as if he was talking from a phone. "Okay, I can't give you mine, but how about an elve's, two nomes, and that that new pitch fork you've been eyeing?" The voice stopped for a moment until giving a satisfying hpm. "Great, pleasure doing business with you. Until we meet again, Lou." Dipper turned around and ungagged the man. "Well, you wont have to worry about my shows anymore, though I suggest you wear a bunch of sunblock to where your heading."

"What does tha.." he says, only for a hole within the earth to open up and swallow him hole. He screamed as the he fell into the screaming pit of death and despair. The whole closes up as the other dark children come up to him.

"What was that?" Mabel asked curiously.

"Eh, just another problem going away." He said pretty casually as he turned his attention toward the tiny tyrant, very angrily. "Your lucky nothing elese happened here today!"

"Me? Your the one who wanted to tempt the power of a Diamond! If you would so fool hardy in trying to best me, then maybe we've could've avoided this mishap!"

"Mishap? Your the one who purposely overloaded the machine! You couldn't take a little blow to your pride! Well guess what, it worked! Now we have authorities inspecting us. We can't operate with the law on our hands. Now if you excuse me, I have to go down to the station and get this cleared up." He steamed off to his destination, leaving the little diamond fuming.

"Oh, were does he get the gull to accuse me!? It one thing to mock my legacy, but to.." He started, only for Mabel to stop him.

"Wait, you didn't cause the explosion, cause you were pretty angry back, there. I mean, not that I would blame you.."

"Exactly, you cant blame me. That right there was only a mere fraction of the power stored in me. All my attack would've down was render him unconscious for a week, maybe two."

"If that's true, then maybe things aren't as they appear to be." She said as she turned around. "He said he had a generator, maybe we can figure out something from there."

Both kids headed towards the back, though the diamond seemed to be in more of a hurry. Nether didn't know what to expect or find back their, so when they came, it was kinda of a shock that before them, was the generator, but it looked as if it was spilt in half.

"Does you sibling always make work this shoddy? Because I must say, I'm a little disappointed. I expected someone, as incompetent as he may be, to at least make a somewhat stable contraption."

"No." Mabel answered with confusion. She kneeled down closer to inspect it further. "This, this was done on purpose. And from the looks of it, I think someone did this out of anger. It only takes one hit to brake it. This was slashed at least seven times." She looks off to the side, noticing something else. "And look.." She picks up what appears to be an axe. "They left the weapon behind."

"But why would anyone try to sabotage the equipment? Who would be foolish to try and attack me on stage, aside from the obvious."

"I don't think this was an attack on you, Diamond." She said as she stared at the boy seriously. "I think someone was trying to kill my brother."

* * *

 _Wow, 10000 words on this chapter. I'm probably going be doing this from now on, don't know if that's a good thing._

 _Next time, the show girl and the diamond investigate while Connie tries to fend for herself._


	8. sleuths and shadows pt2

**Hey everyone, guess who finally got rid of his writer's block? Thanks to a small idea I had earlier, I was finally able to get this thing done, and boy, was it a dozy. 18000 words on this chapter. I really didn't mean for this to be so long, but I had to establish a lot in this chapter if I wanted the story to be told right, and hopefully, you'll all enjoy all the juicy hints that I've put in here.**

 **Oh, and as I was getting over my writers blocks, I was hint with inspiration to write a chapter on the Swap Reverse universe, which is now on one of my side stories Steven Multiverse: an anthology series. Its just a little drabble i had in my head one day and felt compelled to write**

 **I own nothing.**

* * *

There were many things that the little Diamond hated, that was no secret. In fact, more rather, he made sure to be very vocal on what displeased him. Off colored appearances and/or behavior from gems, rebel or otherwise. Any form of hindrance to any progress. Incompetent enforcers, aka, the Jasper. Faulty technicians, aka, the Peridot. Anyone who dared try to question his power, aka, the flesh bag who just so happen to be related to one of the few people he could actually tolerate. He was clear on what he didn't like, and he made sure that the people around him knew it. So when it came to the actual well being of any of these people, he wouldn't give it a micro-second of a thought about it.

Which is why he found it increasingly irritating when the sibling of the one he despised the most kept pestering about helping the pines male. At the moment, he was more into inspecting the device that the "mystifier" used in an attempt to use his power against his own. How he did it, he wasn't sure, but he would learn soon enough. He stayed behind the stage where it was stash, unfortunately though, someone else decided to follow him.

"Come on!" Whined on the voice of the female twin. She had been by the side of the diamond for an hour now, and everything she tried to do to get his attention, from flirting to threats, all fell short on the ears of the stubborn tyrant. "You can't really ignore this fact forever! Someone tried to fry my brother, and by extension, you!" She huffed as she breathed in, only to slightly cough the next second. "Eh. What's that smell? It's like something melted."

The diamond pays little heed to what she said as his face remains as blank as ever"Oh really?" The tiny tyrant looked up at her in a sarcastic tone. "I couldn't tell over your excessive whining and insistence. Seriously, you could match a zircon in terms of annoyance." He said as the girl gave him a disapproving frown. "You think this is the first time my life has been threatened? I could tell you in great detail about what its like to live without any reassurance of making it through the next day. I could tell you what its like to feel like every ally you make is just one thought away from smothering your existence into nothing, as if you never there to begin with." He stared deeply into the eyes of Mabel, who slightly backed away, not really sure where he was going with this.

"But I'll save us all the trouble by telling you this simple truth: I don't care. If there is indeed someone who tampered with the device, then they hold no real threat to me. As you said, they were after your brother, and my involvement in it was purely by the fact that the flesh bag felt like he needed to humiliate me. So excuse me if I'm not exactly jumping to help someone I despise greatly. If your brother is killed, then that's leaves me with the more tolerable ally."

Mabel tried to hold back the blush as she made sure to focus on what was important. "So, so that's it? I help save your life, and this is the gratitude I get? I thought we were allies?"

"We are. But as far as any debts go, we're clear on that. I've paid my debt back by saving your hide, twice in fact, not to mention helping you with controlling that amulet."

'Eh. Why do the cute ones always make it hard?" Mabel thought before pulling out said amulet. "Oh yeah, you mean the little necklace that you gave me?" She smirked as she approached him a little closer. "If you don't help me, then your chances of ever seeing this again are out the window. I know you still need it." Her face got a little more serious as the blue aurora circled the yellow ruler. "And I'm guessing that it wouldn't be so pleasant being on the other side of this thing, now will it?"

"Will it now?" He said as he simply closed his eyes, and within moments, the yellow tyrant's blue glow disapted as he land on the ground with a soft thud. Mabel found herself stammering "wha, what?" as the diamond raised hand.

"I would've thought that an admirer such as yourself would've caught on that I wouldn't have given you such a great deal of power if I wasn't sure I could control it for myself." He smirks as he opens the palm of his hand, revealing what appeared to be a small blue gem, not to dissimilar to the one that the dark female twin was using. "I've had the resources necessary to replicate the amulet's power, I just needed sufficient data to analyze its full potential, and you have shown off data quite remarkably."

"Wait, so, so all that training was you studying me?!" She accused. Suddenly her brother's suspicions were becoming more and more relevant. The little tyrant was more than willing to work every opportunity, and he spoke about it as if their was nothing that could be done about it. On one hand, this made his attractiveness go up a level or two, but on the other, it kind of stung how easily he was able to turn the table on her.

"Eh, more or less." He says as he shrugs it half heartedly. "So it doesn't matter if you take that thing away forever, I've seen you use it and you'll undoubtedly use it again, so you have nothing on me." He smirks in Mabel's failed attempt to sway him. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way." He close the hand that has his own gem an focuses all the energy on the damaged device made by the pines boy. It lifts up as it follows him out the door, where Steven once again finds himself interrupted by the same pestering girl.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" She halted him, getting more in his face. "Exactly where do you think your going with that?"

"Seeing as your brother is currently indisposed, I'll take liberty of the device, seeing as it has no more use for him." He steps to the side, where once again, Mabel refused to let him past. "I'll say this once more Pine girl, step to the side." He spoke a little irritably.

"Why should I?" She said little accursedly. "And while I'm at it, why should I let you leave with that device? By all means, I'd expect someone like you to destroy the machine meant to destroy you."

"And that's where our shared mindsets end, oh naïve one. You see something try to kill you, and you'd try to destroy it. I, on the other hand find it rather, invaluable. Your brother's attempt to wield my power, while laughable, by all means was successful." He admitted. "I'd rather not have such a piece of technology left unknown to me, which is why I'm going to study it to figure out how he did it." He sates, trying once again to leave her presence, though only to meet with the same opposition.

"Oh really?" She smirks, now realizing the opportunity she now had. "So you want this. So, lets make a deal: If you help me, than the device, whatever is left of it anyways, will be delivered in your capable hands." She drones on as she closes eyes and turns away from him. "I'll even get my brother to explain it if you want." She turns back at him with a knowing smirks, and clenches on to the device with her on amulet's power. "If you don't however, than kiss this device goodbye, as I will make it so that you'll never see it again. Deal?" She stuck out her hand ragther smugly as the diamond once again looked at her with his emotionless expression.

"Hm, your assertiveness is both bothersome and admirable. If you were a lesser being, i'd have you'd in pieces on the spot." A light smirk forms from the small corners of his mouth as he shook her hand. Mable made sure to hide her blush as the deal was being made. "Fine, we will be in agreement, but know that i will hold you accountable to your end of the deal." They shake for another three seconds, at which point the expression on his face returns to normal. Another three seconds pass, and it becomes clear he was getting a little unnerved, unlike Mabel, who still had the same creepy smirk on her face. "Uh, are we suppose to do it for along?" He asks in pure curiosity.

"Ha anyone told you how firm and developed you arms are?" She says with a matching creepy tone. The tiny tyrant just rolled his eyes.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Connie was definitely not having the best of time at the moment.

Granted, she could say that having a good time was really something she did anymore, but that was beside the point.

Everyday, every moment of her life was simple, it all functioned well, like clockwork. Get up, train while testing the limits of your speed, eat just enough to prevent any fatigue or dizziness, train while testing the limits of your strength, meditate for about 15 minutes to prepare for the horrors that life had ahead of you, then train until your at the very peak of sword mastery, and then proceed to try and break that peak. And if the time arises, than you go out and collect/destroy anything that threatens to end the little town that you so happen to call your home. It wasn't a peaceful life, but it was that she was dedicated to live for.

Though in retrospect, maybe trying to fight a swarm of these shadowy monsters was on the verge of suicidal. She probably should've just continued to train. Even listening to that Gideon kid was starting to sound better than doing this.

Swing, swish, slash.

Every strike, every stroke she put out, she did with all her might and strength. No slowness, now hesitation, nothing but precise and powerful attacks against the specters.

Swosh, Slice

Despite the valiant efforts, they where really all for naught. For every attack that she landed, they would just repair themselves right before her eyes, as if nothing had happen. Each of them surrounded her, grinning at her with their sinister smiles, looking like a predator, taunting its prey.

Whooooooooosh

They all, one by one, passed through her. Every time they did, Connie felt colder, colder than cold, and empty, as if the very life was being drained straight from her body. Though through each attack, Connie continued to press on. It was a bit of a surprise for them, usually by now the prey would've resorted to fetal positions. They would been left as empty husks of themselves, the empty feeling being to much for them to bare.

But these shadow specters never had a prey like Connie before.

She's had that empty feeling for all of her life, lived with it, embraced it.

This was nothing new for the girl.

After all, this was her life.

* * *

"Okay, men." The voice of Mabel spoke up. It was deeper than usual. The room she currently occupied was dark, as the only shred of light in there shined on her. He demeanor spoke of seriousness and anger, and for some odd reason, she wore an army helmet. She paced herself back and forth as she continued to speak. "We are currently facing a threat that threatens not only the life of my brother, but possibly myself and our Uncle's entire business. If we don't find a way to shut out this soon, the future of our enterprise, as well as the end goal, could be in jeopardy. I know that its scary, and I know we could possible face death in the process, but I need to know, are you in?"

The lights turned on again, as we find ourselves back to the backstage area of the then. We see four people of interest currently sitting down. Steven, the Diamond himself who simply held an unamused expression. Next to him was Wendy Corduroy, the sixteen year old assistant and secretary of the Pines twins, who sat with an anxious and stressed out face, clearly uncomfortable by what was unfolding. Next to her on her right were the only two adults around, Bud Gleeful, who still had his (stupid) smile on, and their dear Great Uncle Stanford, who had slept and snored through his niece's entire speech and had only now just awoken.

"And may I ask, why such a theatrical approach? Wouldn't it had been easier if we went up to these suspects without explaining what we're doing?" The Diamond inquired.

"Because theatricality is a Pines specialty, and I wanted to make the introduction of my interrogation weapon a little more sensible, since it came with the helmet." She explained rather cheerfully as she approaches a figure, about 3/4's her size, covered in a white sheet. Behind it, laid a bulletin bored, with several notes, drawings (of blood and torture that is), graphs, and pictures of all four people currently sitting down. One of the tacks happened to hold up a small green necklace. Mabel felt rather proud of herself as she began to unravel everything. She begun to smell the tension and victory that would surely come to her today, only for her face to slightly gimmace once she does.

'Seriously, what is that stench? It like someone brought an unscented candle through the stage.' She inwardly thought as she tried to shrug it off for now. She smiled again as she pulled of the sheet from the figure, and all the (completely) human people sitting down gasp in shock as they saw what was underneath.

"That's right, right before your, is a military issue, never used, extra strength, metal piercing bazooka launch cannon, with an ignition boost, so you bet that once fired, it'll leave nothing behind, absolutely no trace."

Bud managed to regain from the shock first. "Ex-exactly how did a little girl get her hands on such a device of destruction?" He said fearfully.

Mabel chuckled in memory. "Ah, thank dear old Great Uncle Stanford. He always did give the best gift's for Christmas. He'd said I'd had to wait until next year for the mine field to be installed, but whatcha gonna do?" she said casually as Bud begins to shut up, and began to think of plans for investing in bomb detecting equipment.

"Look pumpkin, I'm sure what your trying to do here is very important, and as fun loving and supportive Uncle, I'm all for helping you in the best why I can." He says with a genuine concern, though his smile slowly begins to turn into a look of worry. "But as a concerned guardian, I have to have to disagree with these more, rough tactics. How about we all get out of here and discuss this over a nice cup of..", He tries to stand up, only to find himself stuck in place. He tries even harder, only to finally realize the awful truth, he's stuck.

Mabel lets out a delighted smirk. "I know how some of you people may be a little harder to talk to, so that's why I took the liberty of wielding the chairs to the stage." She explained as all five sitting occupants look down below. Sure enough, the legs of the chairs were slightly melted, connecting them all to the ground. "I also took a heat activated super glue and applied it across all of your seats. So for all long as I say so, your all now my prisoners. Now, lets play a game i call, interrogation." She moved to the side for a moment before grabbing a giant board on wheels. Each of them had photos of the three trapped hostages, each on had a string tacked on to them, connecting to other notes and pictures. Words such as motives and gain appeared every so often.

"As you all know, earlier today, my brother, the self pro-claimed mystifier (seriously, need to tell him to drop that name) attempted a new form of technology to use in his show. Not only was it a guaranteed crowd pleaser, it also fit his needs to feed his own ego, while at the same time, damaging the pride of my dear friend and ally here..'", she explained as she pointed in the Diamond's direction, to which everyone turned to, only to see his seat empty, and for some reason, smoking.

"You know.." The Diamond said as he appeared suddenly right next to Mabel, who let out a small "yelp" in surprise. "The next time you use something heat activated, make sure its heat tolerant as well. It only took me thirty seconds to melt the adhesive. And on said topic..." He furthered his demeaning tone as he lit up his hands, every part of it covered in electricity. All three elder people flinched their heads back a little in fear. "Never, ever try something like that again." He threatens as he moves his hand closer to her face, increasing the surge. "It isn't a wise practice to restrain someone who can set this town in flames with just a wave of a hand."

Mabel of course decides to dismiss the threat with an eye roll. "Oh, I thought you were this mighty galactic overlord. A little glue isn't going to end all of that. I was just rolling with the act, that's all." She says nonchalantly. She then changes her voice tone a little as she comes at him in a predatory like manner. "Besides, i thought you looked so cute all bonded up." She said as she got closer to the little tyrant's face. "Maybe later i can grab some rope, and have some **REAL** fun." The Tyrant offers no response to this rather dark and suggestive tone, though the older people in the room, mainly the guardian of said flirting girl, winced a little at what she was suggesting.

"Anyways.." Mabel suddenly switches tones in a rather fast manner. "As much as his pain was deserved, it was clear that someone snuck back stage and smashed the generator, causing the explosion and, in a feeble attempt, tried to kill him." The sitting captives could only let out wide eyes and slight gasps of shock. "So that why your all here today."

"Out of everyone in today's horrendous display of power," The Diamond interrupted darkly as he began to stick out his right hand again. "You three are the most likely out of anyone to attempt such a feat. So, to leave no doubt, I'll proceed with completely cardiac arrest on all of you." He lights up his hands as all three began to shout in fear and struggle to free themselves. "Don't worry. Once I've reached 100 milliamps, your brains will begin to fry to the point where it shuts down the nervous system. You wont feel a thing. Well, on the outside of your body that is." He smirked as he built up the charge in his hands, and let go. All three victims could only embrace for impact as their bodies collided with the surge of energy. They all screamed in pain as it charged through them, every surge, every currents, heating up their internal organs. It was like someone put a furnace in their stomach and left it open for the burning coal to suddenly jump out a spread the fire and pain everywhere. Everything stung, and aside from the fact that they were retrained to their seats, it was like everything in their bodies was forcibly telling them not to move.

This went on for a full thirty seconds, and the diamond would've continued to do so for even longer, if the suddenly glow around his hand didn't levitate it down and force him to stop. Mabel then comes in front of him as she explains herself further. "As 'demonstrated' by my friend here.." She emphases the word demonstrated as she stares hard at the tyrant, whose stern and unmoved gaze clearly pointed out how disappointed he was at the little interruption. ", we're will go to any lengths to secure the information that we seek. So i believe it's best for you all to tell the truth, when the shock leaves your system of course." She said as the trio of captives stared into space blankly, though Bud manages to give a thumbs up to let them know that they weren't brain dead yet.

Of course, the little Diamond was more than confused at what she was doing. "Why are you interrupting the execution process? I thought the whole point of this was to gather all the pesky nuisances in once spot for this specific reason."

Mabel stares at him with some slight disapproval. "Trust me, as much as i would love to see these people's lives end in an over the top fashion, we can't to it, at least for the moment."

"But didn't you just threaten to end their lives in a fiery blaze a few moments ago? I would've thought that someone such as yourself would've appreciated what i was doing."

"Duh! Of course i love it! Its just that with my brother currently under Police suspicion, the last thing we need at the moment is for three people closest to my brother and I to suddenly 'disapear' after a stage 'acident'." She explained using air quotes. "Besides, two of those people work for me, and i rather not waste any of my time trying to find replacements for them. Its too much of a hassle." She said with a slight eye roll. "Don't worry, as soon as we find out who did it, you can fry them to a crisp all you want." She smiled at him, waiting for the Diamond to respond.

"Fine, you can take charge here. We'll do it your way." The girl shouts a little yay and gives the yellow tyrant a small hug, to which he is once more dismissal of, as she turns away and head towards the bulletin board. The Tyrant's expression slowly turns more serious as he turns around also. He really, really wasn't liking how today was turning out. He fell for the flesh bag's trap and was humiliated in front of an audience, and now he was forced to work in a slow pace, needlessly complicated interrogation to help the flesh bag, and to top it all off, his only tolerable ally kept invading his personal space to display her 'appreciation'.

It was a struggle to not blast her off every time she wrapped her arms around him. The experience felt way to much like fusion, close, interment, personal. He shuddered at the very thought. He knew, deep down, that this was for the mission, and the mission alone.

He was grateful for the gem on his chest, his very legacy. If it wasn't for it, he would've gone soft like all these humans long ago. He felt no affection, he felt no remorse, or empathy, and most of all, he felt no love.

Love was a distraction, something dangerous that drove fools to do the most inane of things. Rose Quartz and her little squabble of Gems felt love for the earth and its primitive people. And all that lead to was the fall of many soldiers, leaders, and the near destruction of the species. He would never, ever let love blind him. It wasn't even possible for him.

For how can you love, when you don't even have a heart?

* * *

"I can assure you, that this unforeseen disaster was just an error in the shows mechanic's. This, i can affirm, will never, ever happen again. I can personally see to it that it never does." Dipper explained as he sat in the police interrogation room. Usually when he visited the local law enforcement, it was usually to pay the fines and bail fee that Mabel often earned through various instances of trespassing, breaking and entering, damage of private property, and so on and so on.

This time was a little different. Not only was he the one on the hot seat currently, the police this time seem to really be grilling him this time, as if they were reaching out for something more.

"Yeah, yeah, we get it, you've payed and/or bribed everyone in town to forget today's mishap, just like the last time, and the other time, and the dozens of other times similar occurring events had happened since you've pines have entered this fine town." Said a dark skin, rather portly police officer. This was Sheriff Blubs, the long time head of the police station, as well as strict authoritarian and enforcer. Spending time trying to knock some sense into the oblivious idiots of one town apparently does something to you, and in Blubs case, it was his sense of humor. He was like a brick wall, something hard to move and harder to get over. "I've been reviewing these cases for over a month, and once or twice isn't something to really cry over, but your shows have a record of over 15 different cases of 'stage failure' and system malfunction, not to mention the hundreds of casualties that have been sustained since then." The veteran Policemen grunted.

"Look, Blubs is it? I don't know what you've found in those little cases, but as far as the town is concern, we're clean." The little showmen replied with a casual smirk. "We've have had previous instances, yes, but no one ever complains. We've haven't even had a much as a death threat from our audience, so what's the harm in this?"

"The harm? The only reason why you and your family isn't occupying a jail cell is because you've been able to weasel and manipulate everyone! You don't solve these problems, you create them and rake in whatever control there is to gain!"

Dipper of course, chuckles at the Sheriffs little analyses. "My Great Uncle taught me all about business and power. Its something that's existed ever since man first learned to hunt. When Man discovered their skill to maim and kill their pray, it wasn't long before someone figured out its true value. Someone saw how people craved it, practically worshipped it. Soon man could use it, use those people's desires to benefit their own needs and wants. And soon, they've turned from worshipping food, to worshipping the one giving the food." He simply gets out of his chair and turns around.

"Man is such a simple creature. They may have advanced a few things here and there, but the simple truth is, we haven't changed at all. We're creatures of habit, we hate to change our selves because we love staying the same, we destroy anything that threatens to bring about change, and adore anything that brings us security, safety, and above all else, familiarity." He begins to walk towards the door. "People, especially those of this simple backwater town, are drawn to what man has always craved, power. And me, well, if i have anything, its power." He laughs as he turns around.

"Now hold on! You can't..." Blubs shouted out loud.

"I'm not a prisoner, I'm just a person of interest in your little pursuit to feel better about yourself. The deal here is that I have to stay here in the station until the higher ups release me. Nothing about it said I had to stay in this room and listen to you. I'll be in the waiting lounge." He bellowed as he walked out of the room, leaving the Sheriff in disbelief, and a stern gaze.

* * *

Suspect #1. Stanley Pines.

Relation: Idiotic Great Uncle/Janitor/doormat/occasional torture victim.

Guilty of: Being a general pain in the neck.

Stan Pines just wanted to be a good caretaker. He thought raising the twins with his brother would be the greatest thing ever. He thought, maybe for once, his brother, Ford as he liked to call him, would finally open up little. He though that for once, he'd see that there was something other than money and power out there.

Of course, all that hope started to die when he saw what he did. He showed them that dark and awful power that he wielded, the same power that Stanford forced Stanley to learn himself. He could do nothing about though. His brother protected him through out all his life. If it wasn't for his brother, he'd probably be dead by know. Without his brother, Stanley was just half of a dynamic duo. Without his brother by his side, he would be no where in life.

Without his brother, he was a nobody.

Still, for the moment at least, he forgot about that as his little niece along side her scary looking (boy?)friend in yellow as said scary looking friend took out a long a sharp looking trident and had it pointed right at his face.

"Let me tell you something, Stanley." Mabel began to talk. "My friend here is really well equipped with that big fork of his." She gestured at the tyrant, who looked a little offended by the 'fork' remark. "I've seen him pierce solid rock with that thing, slash through wood like butter, and you don't even want to know what it does to flesh." She begun to run her finger nails across his face, making the old man sweat a little in worry. "And we both know that you don't do so well with sharp objects now, do you?" She slashed his face just slightly, not even that hard, though it didn't stop his face from developing a cut. Blood trickled down his cheek as his breath started to get more and more frantic.

Mabel just casually shrugs off his panic attack as she continues to talk, though this time she points her attention to Steven . "It really doesn't take much to hurt this guy. One time we threw a plate at his head, and it took a month before the swelling on his face to go down. Or there's the time he 'tripped", she said that last part with air quotes, "over the stairs, and he broke his legs. It was almost an entire year before his legs became functional again." She laughed loudly over his past misfortune. "But you know? I don't thing he's been injured in the chest area just yet." Stanley began to panic even more as he pleaded and cried to them, knowing exactly what they were going at. "Why don't you aim it, right there." She moves the trident down a little, aiming it right above the old man's heart.

"Hm." The little Diamond mused darkly. "Seeing as I don't have one, I've always wanted to see what a human heart looks like. I _believe_ this senile fool's will be an excellent first sample." He leaned back, taking his arms back also, and prepared to impale the captive.

Of course, way before the Diamond could have the chance, Stanley started to bawl his guts out as he begun to speak.

"Please, please! No more, no more!" He cried as the tears rushed down his face even further. "I didn't do it! I could never, ever want to hurt you guys! Your my family, my kids, I, I, I..." He repeated over and over.

Mabel was use to Stanly's lack of a spine, though this display was far more amusing than the pervious times. As she got out her phone and began to record, Steven watch the display in disgust. Most of the Gems he's shattered had more dignity in this. Even some of the weaker willed ones didn't break down emotionally like this. This, this was just plain pathetic. Why his ally kept him alive, he'll never know.

Finally, Mabel had enough, so she went up to the old guardian and slapped him in the face. "Get a grip old man! Okay, so you didn't try to kill my brother, but is their anything at all that could help us?" Mabel demanded.

The old man took a while as he begun to clear his tears, but through an almost incomprehensible blabber, he manages to say what he needed to. "I, I was just clearing out the stage a little...

Flashback

 _'..As your brother instructed me to do."_ Stan remembers as we cut to what happen a few hours ago. The Old man, as he stated, had a broom in his hand as he started to randomly sweep backstage. He had his usual smile on as he started to hum his own little tune. _'Let me tell you, the audience does not respect private property as one might think. I mean, we put up signs that politely say to clean up any mess, and yet they just.."_ Stan was suddenly cut off by Mabel's face of frustration. " _EH, anyways, i was just doing my job, when i heard a little rustle from behind the stage. As a concerned guardian and president of the safety patrol when i was in grade school, I took it upon myself to not leave anything to chance. I went behind the stage about 5 minutes before Dipper's performance. It was not that bright in their, so i really couldn't anything, except for when Wendy came through the back entrance."_ We see past Stanley briefly bothered by a giant burst of light for a quick second as said assistant did as he described. " _She had a rather disturbed and sad look on her face. I wanted to see what was going on, but the show was about to start, and Dipper warned me about being backstage ever since the whole teleportation incident."_ He chuckles sheepishly as he recalls that painful memory.

End flashback.

"Wait?" Mabel said as she let backed up little. "Our secretary was behind stage when it started?"

"Yes! Of course. I don't know why, but she was." The old man confirmed as Mabel looked to the side and walked right up to the bulletin board, particularly where the necklace was being held up. She found it right beside the axe that destroyed the machine, but combined with Stan's story, the pieces where starting to fall into place.

"Of course." Maybe whispered darkly as her face began to contort as she clenched her fist, which were now on fire.

* * *

Suspect number two: Wendy Corduroy.

Relation: Spineless assistant, financial organizer, and target of anger whenever its convenient.

Guilty of: General freak outs of shock, occasionally late on bringing coffee, and very, very whiny.

Wendy never thought responsibility would fall upon her. She always imagined that after her life as a free sprit adventurer slash monster truck derby diver(really, anything that involved danger and motorized vehicles).

Of course, after her mother died, that all changed. Her father was emotionally distant and focused more on his work. Not that she needed it. She was a strong willed little girl, sure it made her go into tears every time she though about it, but she could stand the lost of her parent. It wouldn't be the end of the world.

What she couldn't stand was her little brothers. They were distraught. The youngest of them, he could even begin to imagine the tragedy of the situation. They were lost, helpless. She couldn't stand seeing them so, so vulnerable. She did everything that she could to help them move on. And for a time, it worked.

But over the past year, they suffered another heavy blow, their dad. No one was sure what had happened, or why. All Wendy knew that it was from severe trauma through the head. The skull was practically like jigsaw pieces, and the brain was like a blended puree.

The image was horrifying on its own, but to the kids, to her brothers, they, they couldn't handle this again, not another tragedy. So, she lied. She didn't tell them what happen to him, or even that he was dead. It was what she needed to do. And in turn, over the course of the years, more so into past year, she turned to a slightly adventurous and slick teenager, to a nervous wrecked, stressed out, over working, yet responsible young adult with serious issues to work through. She had to become this, she had to become the adult for her family.

Of course, upon embracing this new found life for herself, she expected to take more orders and demands from people who outranked her. But she didn't really expect that higher up to be about two to three years younger than her. And she really didn't expect one of her bossed to be currently chocking her telekinetically choking her with her own necklace.

But as she learned very early on with her current job, truth continued to be stranger than fiction, as that's was what was happening.

Steven's eyes widen as he watched the furious show girl choke the life out of her assistant. He eye's were empty of life, but her emotions were plain and clear. Steven smirked as Mabel began to contradict everything she had said to him earlier. It was ironically amusing to witness. The girl always managed to impress the little tyrant in the most unusual of ways. Of course, he wanted to make it all the more amusing, so he simply walked in front of the fury filled girl who looked as if a fire would erupted out of her skull.

"Whoa, calm yourself, little doom bringer. You shouldn't rush into this so brashly." The little diamond mocked with a very childish voice. "You need to figure out what she knows in order to get your brother out of trouble."

"Oh save the crap for later lightning bug! I know what I'm doing!" Mabel shouted as she let go of her grip on the assistant for a moment, who vison began to go burry as she grasp for air. Suffocating hurts in the chest a lot more than it does in the heart. Her heart paced some much from the struggle of breathing that it practically was on the verge of exploding. Breathing again hurt her on the inside. Every big grasp of air she practically choked on. "This is her necklace. She was here before, and thus, she's going to die for trying to kill my brother." She raised her hand once more as she prepared to finish the deed, only, to her surprise, to receive a little shock from the little Diamond's finger."

"Now, now" He continued to mock. "Lets see what our little victim has to say about this." He motioned to the red head, who literally struggled to get a single word out of her mouth.

"I, I, I didn't try to attack Mr. Pines, Ma'am!" She begged as the tears out of her eyes. "He, he, you guys, you guys helped me with my family, I, I, I.." She stammered, only to receive a slap to the face from Mabel as she pulled on the assistant's collar.

"Look. Your on thin ice already. We had a deal. You would work for us and keep our secret, and in turn, we would forge those papers so that you could keep custody of those little brats of yours." Mabel stressed out with a threatening tone. "If you had so much as been in the same space as that device I will personally make sure those kids get sent away to the coldest, must disgusting rat filled hole on the planet!"

"NOOO!NO!" Wendy screamed as she continued her plea. "I, I was merely looking for my necklace when I went back stage!" She explained.

Flashback

We cut back to the moment that she did walk through the back door, where she was indeed dropping tears from her face. _'I'd entered in the backstage a while ago, because your brother had me carry in something heavy in a crate. He said that he needed it for the show, so assuming what happened earlier, I'd guess what i carried in was the machine that exploded. I left, but i came back an hour later when i realized my mother's necklace was not on my neck. I'd, I've never took it off before, so it was really devastating for me to find out that I'd lost it. I merely looked for it for about three minutes before the show started, but i left before it even started."_ Past Wendy walks out of the backstage with a dishearten look as she walked out. " _Looking back on it, i realize that I didn't relocked the entrance, but i did see something strange."_

Past Wendy continues her little mope as she walked past a rather big figure beside her, going in the opposite direction. " _Mr. Gleeful walked towards the stage with an axe as the show began to start. I would've asked what he was doing, but I guess i was a little, emotional at the time, so I didn't bother."_

 _End flashback._

"Well, aside from you lack of competence, I'm guessing that we've learned all that w need to know here?" The little Diamond mused as he smirked at the showgirl. Mabel smiles wickedly as she walked toward the only other victim in the room. Bud gulped in nervousness as both kids began to show off their power once more, very, very slowly, which only fueled the intimidation that they've shown off.

"Wait!" The friendly business rival begged desperately. "I, I, I didn't do it. I had that axe with me because someone was stealing from my house. All that axe was is just another prop for one of my wax dummies!" He explained.

"Oh really?" Mabel said sarcastically as she picked up the axe, and flung it towards the adult. He flinched his head inn fear as the axe flung by him and narrowly missed hitting him in the face, cutting off a few bits of skin on his right cheek. "Rather sharp for a 'prop'." She droned.

"Okay, so maybe I had a real one for the wax dummies. But come on! There was already one in the house, so why bother trying to make a fake one? I'm on a tight budget." Bud sheepishly admit as he begins to worry all the more.

None of his pleas calm the dastardly duo as both close in. Bud begins to sweat bullets as he began to pled even more. "Please. Something has really been stealing all of my stuff! I was merely trying to chase out whatever it was that was invading my house! I grabbed the nearest thing I could grab my hands on so and started to chase the guy!"

flashback

Bud Gleeful, true to his word, really did go out in public, with an axe, trying to chase some shadowy figure he barely caught a glimpse of, within a crowd of people. The people in said crowd didn't bother to question the clearly insane man as they ran out of his way and began to flee from the area. Both of the children listening to his story raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

" _In retrospect, I really should've been a little more inconspicuous about using it. Well I chased the figure for a little more than 15 minutes, even knocked into your lovely assistant while doing so."_ As such, he struggles to regain his posture when he did. _"Sadly, before I could regain my balance, I was knocked out cold. All I remember was the clacking of something wooden, and something forcefully taking the axe away from me, something about it being his."_

 _end flashback_

"And that's all there is to it! I swear that nothing else happened!" He concluded.

"So, your saying, that even though that this is your axe, and that you were the closest to the stage when it happened, and despite you being the one gut to most benefit from our demise, you had nothing to do with this at all, even though the evidence points to you?" Mabel analyzed very questionably.

"That's right." Bud reassured.

The little Diamond looked at his partner with a very 'are you serious' look at the man, before promptly returning to his ally, who was in equal confusion. "Do you buy that story?"

"Absolutely not." Mabel bluntly confirmed as both reignited their respective powers and headed towards the friendly business rival, who could only gulp at what was to come.

* * *

Patience was something that Dipper knew he needed to have in the long run. Between his Great Uncle's plan and his sister's constant antic's, he really did try to keep his frustrations down to a minimal level.

Of course, when allying with a supposed intergalactic space tyrant who was nothing more than a brat with crude taste in clothing, it became very, very difficult to not just throw his down the Mystery Shack's supposedly bottomless pit if it didn't mean listening to 'high mighty authority' this and 'diamond power' that. But, if today proved anything, than he didn't need to do much to set the little troll off, so no need to let go of his reservations there. Even waiting in the police station was nothing to really get bent over. He'd spent way to many hour in the orphanage staring at a corner for days on end, so compared to that, he was living it up now.

Of course, even that didn't prepare him for the nuisance that he had to wait through. Apparently he wasn't alone in the police station, as a blonde girl with a really poofy ponytail, wearing a purple sweater, and for some reason, a shirt with a lama on it, sat about three chair away from him. She stared at him intently for about an hour, with her big, bulging eyes practically popping right out of her skull and touching him. It was, unsettling to say the least.

It probably would've been a little easier to ignore her presence, if she didn't spend the next half hour shooting spit balls at him with surprising accuracy. She spat all 50( it scared him that he was able to keep track of them) right into his ear, to which she yelped with praise and happiness, and, for no reason whatsoever, began to jump up and down across the chairs while sing 'she'll be coming around the mountain'.

Dipper simply used his magic to get all the wet balls of paper in his ears and shot them towards the nearest trashcan. Sure, he could've set them all on fire in a giant ball and shoot them all back at the girl, but he was above that. He wasn't like the tyrant at all, and he would OH COME ON THE SONG WAS ANNOYING.

"Would you kindly restrain yourself from singing that accused sound and sit?" He gritted his teeth as he forced himself to speak. The girl finally silenced herself for a minute as she walked up to him with a blank expression. It was really weird, and strange. Dipper himself was starting to get a little worried on what would happen next.

Of course, any concern for that quickly faded as she took a big breath, filling her cheeks up until they where bulging, and pressed her hands against them, make them slowly deflate as if they were a balloon. Dipper, not even reacting to the trickles of spit landing on his face, watch in sheer bafflement. 'She's clearly lost a few marble's.' He concluded.

"Would you so kindly restrain yourself from being such a grouch?" She playfully mocked as she did her best expression of him. She then looked even closer at him as she begun to trace the lines of the birthmark that was not so subtly hidden by the heads of his hair. "What's with the birthmark?"

"What's with the shirt?" He countered, trying to make it clear he was trying hard to not acknowledge her presence.

The blonde faked a look of offence and started to stare slightly above the little boy as she tried to make it look like she was saying something important. "I'll have you know that Lama's happen to be one of our country's greatest warriors, and with everything we've done to them, we must dedicate our lives to.."

"You have a lot of experience with this sort of thing, do you?" Dipper analyzed dryly, to which the girl nods in confirmation.

"My parent's are hippies, so it kind of runs in the family." She admitted. She then attempted to restart his little speech, but not before something burst out the door.

This sudden burst of sound was enough to alert the Police Sheriff to their presence. "What's going on.." He started to say, only to find himself speechless at the sight before. Right at the door, Bud Gleeful, owner of one of gravity fall's biggest tourist traps, was bruised, beaten, and bleeding on the tile floor. His black, swollen eyes were bulging as if their were balloons, just popping out of his head and looked as if they would fall out. The side of his head, arms, legs, and in pretty much any other general area, were scratches, bleeding, and burned like bacon. They were charred like fries left in a deep fryer. His features were so unrecognizable, that you could hardly tell if he was a person based on his appearance. On top of him, both Mabel and so kid in yellow he didn't recognize were both setting on his back like he was some sort of chair.

"Well Officer Blobs" Mable mocked as she arose from her 'victory.' "After investigating everything on my own." The little Diamond quietly sent her a little shock on her shoulder. "...With some help from my associate here, we were able to secure the culprit of today's little mishap." Her smile did nothing to hide all the smugness emanating from her voice. The diamond was no better as he simply crossed his arms. The blonde girl in the room was in shock from the sight that she was seeing. Her mouth was practically hanging off by a thread as the horror of it silenced her. Dipper held on to his unamused expression, not mad at the fact that Mabel tortured someone, but the fact that she just showed it off to their not so passionate admirer.

"Do you have any idea what you've done!?" The appalled Policeman shouted in shock. "You've tortured and assaulted a civilian! This, this I can't just look the other way from" He said, though his eyes didn't stop staring at the beaten Gleeful.

"No. This man was refusing to cooperate with us. When we asked him about todays mishap, he began to show some hostile tendencies towards us. So I believe that we were well in our right to do what was needed." The Diamond said with the upmost casualness and confidence. Not a single stutter or sign of worry. How he said it was almost robotic, like he though of the answer as soon as it was asked. "Besides, he admitted that his personal property was what caused today's little misfire, and that he was near the area when it happened." He explained as Mabel pulled up the axe from earlier, handing it off to the still shocked man.

"This should prove to be more than enough evidence to prove my dear brother had no hand in todays incident. Run the fingerprints if you want to, but I can guarantee that all bases have been covered and checked." She arrogantly conclude as the Sheriff snatched the weapon from her hand, probably frighten by the thought of one of these kids holding anything sharp. He quickly sends a look at the blonde before turning away. "Oh, Miss Northwest, you can leave now. No charges have been pressed, but your parent's will have to stay the night in the cell, again."

"Yeah, Yeah, I get the drill by now." The kid shrugs as she prepares to leave, thought without touching Dipper's birthmark one last time. "See ya later Big D." She chuckled as she twirled out the door, smashing her face on it as she tries to maneuver out of it. The trio of kids were baffled to say the least about it.

Dipper immediately shakes off the confusion as he turns towards his other half. "What was that?!" He sternly demanded.

"I know, right? What was wrong with that girl? A Lama with that kind of jacket? Talk about ta-cky. Was she raised by hippies or something?" She mused over, completely missing Dipper's infliction in his tone.

"What? No! I meant, what was with" he stops as he points at the still beaten and unconscious Bud. "I mean, clearly this was a long time coming for this gut, but you don't just flat out expose you magic to the normal people! And you especially don't use them to torture people unless you secure the fact that they can never say anything about it." His anger raises as Mabel does her best to ignore Dipper's claims. "And you especially don't walk up to the authorities and admit that you've beat the truth out of him! What part of this equals low key and subtlety?"

Mabel would've offered a rude and insulting retort if the little Diamond didn't chime in with his two cents. "Oh please, your one to talk considering you've went through such length just to study my powers, in front of a large audience no less." Steven shoved his face in Dipper's, causing both to angrily stare at each other as he continue to speak. "So I really wouldn't be criticizing your better half on her work. As annoying and bothersome as it was, she came through with a solution to a problem you conjured up yourself." The Diamond mocked.

"Mind you business brat. Your just as to blame as anyone here. You've crawled into our lives out of no where, bring out a band of freaks like yourself out of no where, and you've brought nothing but immense annoyance ever since. You say your a great leader, but we've yet to see any proof otherwise."

"Hey, for the record, he helped solve the case to. Nice to know you show everyone the same gratitude to everyone that saves your ungrateful butt." Mabel defended. "Remind me to never do that again." She says, to which the Diamond shakes his head in agreement.

"Oh, nice. Your two are in agreement. Great, I've traded one annoyance today for another." Dipper groaned in exasperation. Fortunately, the Sheriff came back, although he head a rather glum look with tons of anger mixed in.

"Well, as educated and thorough as your 'investigation' probably was, I'm sorry to say that you've got the wrong guy." The Sheriff admitted, though he voice was masked with sarcasm, so you could tell clearly that it wasn't sincere.

Of course, this doesn't have a well received reaction with the head of the 'investigation', as if the wide open and confusion was any indication. "Wha, wha, wha, But, I, we've, it, it has to be him! He has the motivation, the property!" She tried to rectify. "That axe right their is prop! Didn't you check for DNA?"

"Yes I did, and the scan's show no signs of being touched. More rather, aside from your fingerprints, no prints or any sign of foreign DNA was found on it. And considering your rather colorful backgrounds, and this little instance of cruelty, I say I have enough evidence to.." He begins to gloat, before his mouth is suddenly frozen by a stream of blue energy. His entire body resides the same energy before being thrown into the counter, knocking him out cold. Both Mabel and the little Diamond look towards the pines boy, who simply wiped his hands before handing back the amulet to Mabel( who didn't even notice he took it) as he prepared to walked through the door.

"He wont be out for long. It'll take awhile to find a spell suitable enough to repress his memories of today. At most, he'll chalk this little incident to a caffeine overdose before he charges us with insubordination." He talks with an unamused tone as he get out.

"Wait, you've could've gotten out of there this entire time?!" Mabel exclaimed. "Then what was with all this crap with going to the station!?" she exclaimed with tons of anger, which only succeeded in making the boy face her direction.

"Because, as I said in the beginning, discreetness is the key to our success, and I rather not waste my potential on common lowlifes. But thanks to the both of you, I'm forced to make an exception, again." He dryly replied. You know, I've expected you to just end them there on the spot. It probably would've saved us all this trouble."

Mabel of course, wasn't going to have any of it as she shoved her brother. "I've worked my butt off for you! I took my time, actually made sure to cover my bases, and had to be paitient with talking to those idiots for 2 hours! I've worked hard today, trying to be like you, making sure I did this the right way!"

"Ah, the irony of it all. I guess you really can't help but get in the way of everything, even yourself. But not to worry, just know I'll be here to clean up your messes." He smirked as he walked out the door, leaving the two other dark children behind standing in the police station. All Mabel could think about doing was sitting down in one of the chair as she watched two of the unconscious grown men groan in pain. Steven himself simply leaned against the wall beside her as they both sighed at the pointlessness of today's hard work.

"Well, I guess I was right. It probably would've been better suited if I had deep fried those idiots back at the entertainment stage." He mused over as he caught the bitter expression of the Pines girl.

"Not now Diamond. Can't you see I'm trying to wallow in self pity town?" She answered as she hugged her leg close to her body. "I did all that for him, I did all that work, and he doesn't even give it a second glance." She vents out. "I was the one who protected him in that orphanage. Whenever someone hurt him, I made sure to hurt them back times 1000. I would make sure everyone suffered if they even thought about touching a single hair on him. But ever since our Great Uncle took us in, he's completely undermined me. I know how to plan, I know how to be smart, but he's to arrogant to even see it anymore."

The Diamond merely scoffed at her little story. "Trust me, you are wasting your time." Mabel of course groaned as she gave him a look of annoyance. "Living your life, using moments of you own lifespan to please others." He pauses as he stares up at the ceiling. "Its worthless. It'll waste you life away. Nothing, nothing is more inane then trying to impress someone who'll bury your accomplishments to the ground." He stares dryly at Mabel once more. "All that does is slowly break you. I've made my peace with it. Never, never spend your life dedicated to someone who's not worth it."

Mabel groans in misery once more. "Thanks for telling me every moment I spend with my brother is futile. I feel so much better now." She sarcastically remarks. "Its infuriating! All the work I've done, for nothing! And I made sure to check everything, the axe, the evidence, the, the.." She continued as she took a deep breath, only to gag a little. "Seriously, what's that smell!? I feel like its been following me all day!"

Both kid's attention turned to Mr. Gleeful, who only now they had noticed finally getting up. "Oh, sorry. I think I may know the problem." He reaches into the pockets of his pants, and what comes out is a oozing, slightly burnt slime. "I ha extra wax with me to help with my statues, they've been losing a lot of it lately. It must've melted during you guy's, little investigation."

"Well thanks for that tid bit, but why have I been smelling it every..." She stated, before pausing immediately. It was like the mysteries of the universe finally unveiled themselves to her head, as if the jaw dropping on face was any indication. The yellow tyrant waved his hand in front of the magic girl, which did nothing to ciphen any kind of reaction. So he proceeded to do the next plausible thing, and gave a little shock to the back of her cranium, making her yelp a little in surprise.

"Hm, It seems you are still functioning at full capacity. Now can I ask what your so..." He started, before Mabel immediately dashed out of the door, using her magic to remove the doors of the building as she ran out. "Admirable, but still very insufferable." He muttered as he followed in her footsteps.

* * *

"Heh, I, I can do this all day!" Connie managed to breathe out as she continued to slash at the dark figures. No matter what she did, no matter how much she attacked at them, she failed to even scratched them. And to make matters worse, it seemed that whatever it was that they were doing, it was slowly beginning to drain her energy bit by bit. She felt her body beginning to drag on as she struggled to lift her sword up,

The specters, while inaudible, began to whisper among themselves, as if they were boasting at some sort of conquest. "You think I'm done!" Connie shouted as she lifted he sword and aimed it at the nearest one around. "I've fought monsters like you for all my existence! I've been beaten before. But if you think you can break me" She launched out and prepared to strike, then you got another thing coming!"

Of course, that does nothing as the creature merely made her phase out of its body as if she was made out of air. Connie fell to her knees and struggled to get back up. She didn't expect such a hard impact upon landing. She pays little heed to her pain as she continued her death inducing stare on the creatures. She wasn't about to give up just yet.

And she probably would've pounced right back at them, if it wasn't for the untimely interruption of a small ball of light. It made contact with one of the main specters, who upon touching it, flinched back in pain and terror. Connie turns back to look at the source of the light, and to her surprise, she see's the little nuisance from earlier, who had some sort of bulky gun on his person. "I fire, you slice." He states as he takes another shot at the ghostly like creature. Not wanting to question this any further, Connie complied to his orders and took a slash at the main specter. And unlike before, where her attacks did nothing but temporarily tear them, these attacks actually destroyed there seemingly intangible forms. A

And of course, one by one, each of the creature began to tear apart into nothing. With Connie's second wind of adrenaline kicking in and Gideon's seemingly never ending supply of fireball, the shadow specters were quickly dispersed of. As Connie tried to steady her heart beat, Gideon came up to her with an extra bout of excitement in his step. "Are-are you okay? I mean, you've seem to be pretty drained , which is no surprise given the nature of those specters. They have a.." He carried on, though Connie aimed the sword slightly, though this time, she was more curious and much less threatening.

"How did you know how to be those things? I've been hacking away at them all day." She stated. Gideon, reached into the confines of his journal, showing it off once again to the sword wielding girl.

"Like i said earlier, this book has knowledge over everything in Gravity Falls. Everything. There's a specific chapter on those monsters. Its a little hard to make out at some points, but it said that they don't dwell well in well lighted areas, which is why they spend most of their time in the deepest and darkest parts of the woods." He held up the gun like device in his hand. "My father had a few of these flare pistol's laying around the house. These things can only be destroyed after being exposed to a large amount of concentrated light." He said, though Connie still looked at him suspiciously.

"Why did you help me?"

Gideon was a little shocked at all her questioning, like he had some sort of devious agenda. Of course, Gideon didn't think about it for to long as he answered honestly. "I, I've always craved mystery, I guess, and, and helping a secret group of crystal guardians sounded pretty exciting, I mean, who wouldn't want to learn more about that?" He smiled, though Connie still had her look of disbelief. "But, if i were to be honest, its, well, things at home aren't, well right now for me. I, I don't know what's wrong with it, and anytime i try to find out anything, I'm just left more confused." He sighed sadly. "I, I just wanted to make sense of something for once, and finding out about the weirdness of this town seems to make more sense then my own life." He looks down for a moment and points the journal in her direction. "I wont fight you on this. If you really think that this Journal isn't safe for anyone to know, than take it and do with it as you please."

Connie stared blankly at him for a while, not sure how to process what was going on here. Looking down at the journal and at the kid again, she gave out a disgruntled sigh before pushing it back Gideon's way. She turns the other way, presumably going back to the temple. "You used it to help me defeat those things. It seems to be in the right hands for the moment. Come by tomorrow. I think you can, help me with a few other things." She manages, with some struggle, to say as she disappears into the darkness of the woods.

* * *

It was a long while, but eventually, Steven was able to catch up with Mabel, who had fled to the so called "Mystery Shack." The Diamond took one look at it and scoffed in disgust. "Pitiful." He muttered as he walked through the huge gapping hole within the shack itself. Upon entering the rusty and worn down building, he looked upon the various trinkets and 'artifacts' that the store seemed to hold. It baffled his as to why humans always seemed to take pleasantry in the most asinine of objects. Nothing, absolutely nothing here held any value whatsoever. "Why those Crystal Gem's stay here, I'll never know." He mused as he finally made contact once more with Mabel.

The little showgirl herself was, for some reason, staring intently at one of the wax figures that they had encountered earlier. Mabel wasn't only looking it , she looked as if she was obsessed with the lifeless object. She stared up at up, as if she was daring it to make another move. "You know, if you were trying to make yourself look like a bigger ass than your brother, than I think its safe to say that you've exceeded all expectations." The Diamond mocked as the girl did her best to ignore the rude comment made about her.

"I've figured it out." She states, making the tyrant tilt his head a little in confusion. "I know who did it. Once Gleeful explained the smell, it all clicked, the sabotages, they, the sources of them, were right in front of us!" She waved out the figurines right in front of her. Her face was that of desperation and slight insanity as the Diamond went unamused by her conclusion.

"Stars knows how many times I've insulted humanity's intelligence, as well as its increasing ability to get dumber with every generation, but I'm pretty sure you've made your kind all the more handicapped within the last few seconds of saying that." He mocked on e more as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, once I lobotomize you, you won't have any recollection of any of this, and probably come out all the more smarter."

Mabel brushes off his joke/threat as she takes his hand off of herself. "I'm serious! Bud said that something was messing around his shack recently, and that smell that's followed me all day must've been the wax melting from the heat of the electricity." She rationalized. "The axe had no fingerprints on it! What else would've been able to carry a weapon all the way to our place without imprinting any sort of trace? And Bud said that this axe belonged to one of the dummies, so what else would even have any reason to use an axe in the first place?" She blurted as she tried to convince the diamond of her crazy idea.

"Okay, even without considering your obvious need for neurological help, there's still the simple fact that, there dummies." The Diamond remarked with tons of snark in his voice. "If these things are as active as you say they are, then why would I be able to do this." Quickly facing the nearest dummy head, he went out to shoot his energy right toward its face, hoping to dismiss his ally's claim within a matter of seconds. "See" he smugly says as he turns around to mock her once more, there is nothing here that has lead.." He turns back around, only to see that the dummy he was facing had some how disappeared from his view. Not even a sign of melted wax was left behind. "me' he said a little quieter as the lights suddenly go out.

"What the.." Mabel began to question as she simply ignited her hand with blue fire to see, only for the creepy smile of a wax George Washington to stare at her with cold, white, and dead eyes. "Now my dear. Now is not the time for younglings as yourselves to be cursing. Now is the time to die." He stated with absolutely no tact whatsoever as he took the back end of the axe from earlier, and strike both the kids down with one swift blow.

* * *

"Now, you may be asking yourselves, how is this possible? How is this so? And what do we have to gain from any of this." The old-English voice said as he spoke with slight cunning and smirk in his voice. Both children, upon awaking found both of themselves outside, where it was night out. Torches were planted everywhere a various figures surrounded them. All of them, from King Arthur, to Queen Victoria, to Ronald Regan and Johnny Appleseed, all of them were wearing long brown cloaks as if they were participating in in some sort of ancient ritual. Both of the kids found them bound to the side of the Mystery Shack, chained to the walls tightly as the stature of the great American President continued to boast in front of them.

"I know, I know, It looks rather crazy, and bogus, but when it comes to this fine town, nothing, absolutely nothing is..." He spoke, before coughing up what appeared to be wooden teeth. Washington sighed as he merely picked them up and placed them back in, much to the disgust of Mabel. "Seriously, when they made this body, could they had at least made the wooden teeth wax? What kind of tourist is going to point out 'hey, this guys doesn't have real wooden teeth.' I hate being figurines." He states to which all the wax figures nod in agreement.

"Oh look, Diamond. These wax figures are alive, and moving, and confirming EVERYTHING THAT I SAID EARLIER!" The little girl berated as the Diamond rolled his eyes. "Who would've thought that this could ever be possible? Who could've even known that a bunch of creepy wax figures could ever turn out evil and be attempting to kill my brother?" She sarcastically asked again.

"I get it, I get it!" The yellow tyrant acknowledge as he kept his focus on George Washington. "You aren't as brain damaged as I originally assumed. Now instead of being wrong and living, we're going to die because you were right." He bluntly said, making Mabel 'oh' in realization and dropping her head. "I must say though, even I wouldn't have guessed this outcome. Exactly what sort of dark and sinister power would allow the inanimate to come to life?" The Diamond inquired, making the wax figure chuckle a little.

"Clever boy. You see, we aren't wax figures at all." He confessed as his eyes began to glow black, making him appear all the more menacing. The other wax people did the same as the kids began to be slightly unnerved by this unnatural occurrence. "We're Shadow Specters, creatures of pure darkness's that thrive on the life force of other people to survive".

"Wait, my, my brother talked about you guys a few times." Mabel chimed in. "Your species avoids daylight because light is your weakness. Shouldn't you kind be living in a cave or something?"

"You would think so, wouldn't you. We were once a plentiful species that thrived upon the creatures of this land. Mere life force is fine, but the magic in this town, the pure supernatural nature of all of its creatures, it was delicious to dine on." He licked his lips creepily as he curled up his fingers into a fist. "We would've ruled this town long ago, if it wasn't for those accursed Gems that guard this place." The Diamond picks his head up in curiosity. "Their weapon, their power, their light, it was like acid on out ethereal forms. Merely by touching them caused our kind's forms to whither away in the air." He said in anger as the glow in his eyes began to glow brighter as dark, black vein like structures formed all over his face.

"With no where to go, the remaining of my kind, the few I was able to gather at least, fled to this crappy tourist trap. We were to weak, and with nobody around to steal life force from, we were doomed to die. That is, until we found these bodies." He lifts up his hand, which also started to form the same black structures. As the two kids looked around, all the figures began to show similar signs on their bodies as well. "Empty and devoid of life, it wouldn't have done anything for us, but there was a certain scent of power in here. Faint, but strong enough for us to survive on. It finally allowed us to be free, but with the gems on the hunt for us and with no way to get out without drawing attention, we were forced in this accursed shop for decades, damned to be the playthings of man." He groans a little as he grabs onto his stomach in pain. "But the power in these bodies are running out. Soon they will fall apart and we'll be vulnerable to attack one more."

"But why involve my brother in this? We didn't even have any idea you existed until know." Mabel asked, only for the wax people to laugh.

"You, you think, you think we wanted your brother? Ha!" George Washington howled. "Nonsense, my dear child, we wanted you. Specifically, the magic in both of your bodies." He grinned darkly as Mabel struggled not to let this freak scare her. "When you confronted that oaf Gleeful earlier, we saw the power you displayed on our dear comrade, you know, the one whose head you made explode?" He sternly expressed. "Normally, we've would just come to you at night and slit your throat in your sleep, but the power within the both of you, especially you little girly. So we sabotaged the machine in your brother's show, as well as leave enough evidence to make you crawl right to us." He than proceed to caress his hand on her head, before snatching up the amulet around her neck. "With these two artifacts" he said holding up both rocks, showing that he also the one the little tyrant was holding earlier. "There will be enough magic to sustain us for a lifetime, and then some. We'll have enough power to destroy anything in our path, the first to suffer will be those Crystal Gems."

"Okay, but you have the power know, so you have no reason to hold us." Steven finally spoke up, having no fear, and no stutter in his voice. "I am no fan of the Gems, if anything, I would encourage you to proceeded with your little excursion here." Steven stared right into the blackened eyes of the wax leader. "But from one leader to another, this isn't all, is there? You have something else up your sleeve, don't you?" He inquired, making Washington laugh a little more.

"Correct, my dear child. You see, using this little rocks isn't enough to restore our true glory. In order to seek the restoration we desire, we require two conduits of mystical power to purify and work the process. In other words, we require two magically infused hearts to make the restoration complete. And who else is better suited than the two magical kids who killed and laughed at the death of one of our own." He grimed as Mabel gulped a little, while the Diamond smiled for some odd reason.

A wax figure of Albert Einstein came up to him with two green vials, to which Washington gladly accepted. "Don't worry, as gratitude for giving us the opportunity we've so desired, we will grant you a relatively painless death." He sticks out one of the vials and points it in-between the two kids. "This will stop all cardiovascular functions, stopping the blood flow but still leaving the heart intact just long enough for us to prepare the operation." He gets even closer. "So, who's first." He said, though he had his head turned to Mabel, indicating that he had already made his choice.

"This, this is super inane." The Diamond chimed in with a wide smile before the shadowy wax leader could even attempt another step. "You say your a mighty species, you say your grand, and powerful, and ruling. But all I see are a weak, pathetic group of defective organisms that should've died the moment they've came into existence." The wax leader says nothing as he hears the Diamond out. "You said you've could've ruled this town if it weren't for those Gems, but the way I see it, you've could've done so a long time ago. Actually stealing life energy from other's, that's a trick very few understand, but If you truly used it, you could've just stole more life force from anyone else, at any given time." The other wax figures begin to murmur among themselves, making the leader more and more furious with each passing moment.

"You stayed in one spot, claiming you didn't want attention, but at anytime, you've could've just stole the life force from any one of the multitude of simpleton's that came near you." Washington unhooks him from his chains, not that the Diamond really seems to notice. "You didn't do a thing because you were afraid. That fight with those Crystal Gems didn't just weaken your bodies, it weakened you resolve, your mind, and your soul. Thanks to you cowardice, you've made you own species week, and only now do you have any gull to do something only because you were too afraid to bring us to you personally. Whenever my kind faces and enemy that gives us a hard blow, my kind always comes stronger than before, but you personally lead your own people to their deaths. You.." The Diamond actually started laughing as he continued to explain himself, but before he could go on any further, the wax leader took the needle and stuck it down his neck, forcing him down to the ground.

It appeared that the little tyrant was dead.

Mabel had no real time to react to this untimely demise as her mouth was gagged with a cloth as Washington prepared to inject her portion of the poison into her body. "Now don't be alarmed dear. Just know that for all the evil you have brought unto the world, your heart will have ultimately been sacrificed for the greater good." He states as the show girl began to struggle one more trying to bring on any form of magic to free her, but her head was still too foggy to truly concentrate on summoning anything. Fear began to take over her mind as she fought to resist the injection. The needle was making contact with her neck as it was about to penetrate the skin. Just another moment, and it would all be over.

swish.

Right behind the wax leader, the little diamond held out his mighty trident, and with one quick swing, the figurine was split in half as it fell over, moaning in pain as he made a pitiable look up at the tyrant. "How?! That serum should've stopped your heart the moment it entered it!"

"Oh you poor, stupid little creature." The Diamond mocked once more as more and more of the wax people came at him. He simply smiled sinisterly as he explained himself. "You assumed I had one."

 _"Do you think I'm just some weakling, made from bone and flesh?_

 _Do you see me as a plaything, a toy to mold and mesh?"_

The Diamond charged forward, lounging his weapon at the nearest figure, which just so happen to be a statue of Genghis Khan. He plunged it right into his chest, impaling him. He wasted no time as he lifted him upwards and flung him into the sky. What appeared to be a caveman and Shakespeare came up at him, only for the Diamond to stretch out both of his arms and shot massive beams of energy at them.

" _the plan you had to end me, it was doomed right from the start._

T _he plan you had to kill me failed, because I have no heart!"_

With another mighty swipe from his weapon, he was able to free Mabel, who was still a little more than shocked to see her comrade not dead, though that thought was completely shoved out of her head as soon as the Diamond handed her one of the torches, knowing immediately what he was trying to say. Using it, Mabel flung it overhead at what was probably Santa Claus and burned his face right off, completely turning it into a smelly pile of goo.

 _You thought that you could beat me, bend me to your will?_

T _he plan you had was clever, laughable, but still._

Both of the kids wasted no time as both unleashed the full wrath of their power. The flames and the lightning merged together as they set ablaze to the statues. One by one, they all melted in the most gruesome of ways, if the screams of agony were anything to go on. One by one, the specters flew out of their melted bodies, only to moan in pain as they soon disintegrated into non-existence.

 _The poison and deception, it was great on your part_

 _but know your lives will end, because I have no heart!_

As the two kids continued to show off their superiority, the top half of the body of Washington slowly crawled away from the two. In his hands were both of the amulets. Looking at both of the kids with murderous intent, he watched as he lifted both of his arms in the air, as the little stones of power began to glow.

S _o you thought that you would kill me, for something that you seek?_

B _ut the thing that brings you life, also makes you weak!_

S _o let me end it now, make you lives depart,_

 _away from this strife, tearing you apart!_

 _Know that I will win, because of my start!_

 _I know the key to_ _winning, is to have no heart!_

The kids breathed slowly as they finally finished off the last of the creature. Mabel, despite the attempted murder on her life, still found a way to smile. Not only was she right on the nose with this whole investigation, she could tell the story to her brother and rub it all in his face(personally, she was thinking about taking a handful of this wax and shove it in his mouth just so he could remember the bad taste of today). And as a bonus, she got to listen to the Diamond _marvelous_ voice. She already had a bucket full of songs she wanted him to serenade to him for hours on end. But with the Diamond in mind, it also raised a question in her mind.

"Wait, so when you said that you didn't have a heart, you really meant.." She started to say, before the diamond nodded in confirmation.

"It is exactly what I said." The Diamond emotionlessly said as he pointed to the gem on his chest. "My kind, we don't a natural birthing process like humans do. There were a few, costs that had to be made with my conception." He slowed down a bit, with Mabel actually thinking she saw a hint of sadness in the small corners of his face. "This Gem is more than just the source of my power and status, its the very core of my being, but it doesn't fit well with certain organs, so to function properly, it replaced the heart entirely." The Diamond moves his hand away from his diamond. "It doesn't matter though, my life is all the better without it. No heart means I'm unbound by humanity's ability to connect with the most inane of things." He smirked, which puts a slight frown on Mabel's face, hoping that it didn't apply to what she had in mind.

"Surely there's, something you could connect with?" She hinted at him, trying to touch his hand in an attempt to hold it. Of course, just as the Diamond was about to swat down her sign of affection, they watched as all the melted wax from the statues slowly begin to slither up in the air, raising from all the ashes and dirt. Their attention was once again turned the wax-in leader as all the wax he commanded, slowly poured unto his body, absorbing every little bit of his former comrades into his own being, mixing and molding every little bit of them. Mabel watched in disgust as the sight made her quite queasy, while Steven merely watched as the unnatural sight unfolded before them.

Finally molded into a giant wax figure, monstrous with arms and legs sticking out everywhere except where they should be. The same Black vein like structures formed all around the creature as the all originated at the head, which was of a now more deformed head of George Washington, more skull like than before. With an inhumane roar from the creature, it stretched out a monstrously large hand with sheer brute force as it launched out at the two children. "While not ideal, I believe that this body should be suitable enough to destroy those accursed Gems, though I suppose it wouldn't hurt to _test_ this new body on a few _practice dummies!"_ He scowled as the kids barely leapt out of the way. Wasting no more time, both Steven and Mabel launched all their fury at the creature, melting chunks of his body's mass and cutting holes like Swiss cheese, though with a brief glow of blue light, the melted wax reformed and reshaped themselves onto his body.

"You my boy." He gestured to the Diamond as he walked closer. "Your power, you weapons, it feels like a Gem's. No matter, even with that advantage, I still have the power of this amulet, which will keep this current form stable long enough for me to snuff you out like candle." He threaten as he grabbed onto the diamond body, and flung him across the woods. Mabel quickly dropped her attack as she fled to check on him. Run all you want children. I never tire, I never waver, and thus, I will never stop until I know your dead!"

Mabel comes across the dazed body of the Diamond, who was flung into a three so hard that the force of impact snapped it in half. He awakens upon the touch of Mabel, and then proceeds to throw up his own blood. "Eck, if only having no heart meant having no blood. How can humans expect to keep this stuff in them with such fragile bodies?"

"Now really not the time to think about a better body, Diamond! Now is the time to freak out together and come up with a plan!" She shook the diamond more, making him throw up even more blood, to which Mabel stopped to apologize for. "That thing has both of those amulets, which means he has the main source of my power." She said as she lit up a flame with her hand, which, while hot, wasn't as big as she wanted it to be. "And my reserved magic is almost out."

"I can still fight that thing off." The Diamond stated as he stood up with slight struggle. "But if he can manipulate and regenerate his power like that, than our fight is for naught. We need to distort and separate his body long enough for us to take back those amulets. What we need is something hot enough to ignite the explosive properties of his current form."

Ding.

"That's it! Diamond, you're a genius!" Steven isn't given anytime to acknowledge this complement as the show girl with all the strength she had and threw herself on him, kissing every part of the left side of his face. The diamond at the moment was too weak and stun at this to really do anything. After a full thirty seconds of this, she let go and ran ahead, motioning the Diamond to follow her. The Diamond, feeling so confused and so violated, did the only thing he could've possibly done in such a moment.

He threw up even more blood.

* * *

Dipper sighed. He really thought that today would've gone a whole more differently than it did today. As he started down as he latest creation in all of it's destroyed glory, he pondered about Mabel's attempt to 'help' him. It was cute when she thought she was doing something useful. Not that he didn't think Mabel was completely incapable, if she was, than Great Uncle Stanford wouldn't have bothered to take them both this far, but her constant childishness made her at a lot of times a nuisance.

Though he had to admit, it in no way compared to what he had to endure at the police station earlier. That blonde, she was so irritating. From her constantly laugh, her inability to stay still without throwing something, the way she came so close to him like a imprinted puppy. He'd hoped that it was the only time he'd ever run across her again.

"I pity the poor dullard who end's up with her. Whoever it might be must be either desperate of brain damaged." He mused over as he tried to put all his focus on repairing the machine. But as his luck would have, Mabel burst out the door, well, more like crashed through, with her clothes ragged and torn and dirt covering everything, she looked at Dipper with a slight animal like vibe to her before speaking.

"Notimetospeakhavetokillawaxshadowspecterthingthattriedtokillmeearlierandalsoyoubecause..." She blabbered out all at once as Dipper struggled to keep up with what she had just said. He attempted to just ignore this little outburst, at least until he saw her carry out the bazooka that Great Uncle Stanford had given her.

"What in the bloody blazes are you doing!?" Dipper shouted as he got in front of the desperate twin. "Your not going to blast that thing at the mountain and cause another avalanche, are you?"

"First off, just because I did that in Velocity Springs doesn't mean I'm going to do it every time we settle down somewhere. And second off, that thing that tried to kill you earlier turned out to be a bunch of wax figures with shadow specters in them that now want to kill me and Diamond!" She exclaims.

"And what proof do you have of this?" Dipper inquired. Two seconds later, the Diamond was hurled through the walls as he came crashing in. He merely got up after coughing up even more blood. "Okay, consider me convinced." He said as he smirks at the little Diamond's bout of misfortune.

"The creature, while strong, is made out of wax. All we need to do is put him in one spot long enough for Mabel to blast the damn thing." The Diamond explained the plan. "I can certainly stun him long enough, but I'll need the flesh bag's help in distracting the creature." They all nod in confirmation, though Dipper cringes at the nickname the Diamond has kept for him. The trio isn't given much time to discuss matters any further as the wax monster roars on and on, shaking the very ground with each step. The children race outside, Mabel running in another direction to prepare, leaving the two rivals alone with the oncoming monster.

"So what's this creature's deal?" Dipper asked."

"He's a shadow specter that's using the power of your amulet and the one I've crafted to stabilize his own form with wax, and every..." The Diamond mulled over trying to explain the situation, though Dipper stops him in mid sentence.

"You've made your own?" Dipper accused. "You've could've have made you own?"

"Well, it certainly wasn't easy to do. First there was finding the proper data on it, which you and your sister have oh so gratefully provided for me. And then their was finding the proper.." He continued on, only for Dipper to grab him by the collar.

"You've studied us!? You've studied my sister?!" The anger seethed through his skull as The Diamond laughed a little at Dipper's growing anger. "You, you, violated our trust, our, our.."

"Our truce? Because as I recall, you did the exact same thing to me. You were preparing a weapon to eradicate my presence if you so desired. The only difference is that I don't feel the need to show off like a jackass whenever I want to feel better about my life. Your just angry because I thought of doing the same thing." He told the show boy off, making him let go of the Diamond's collar.

"We've both don't like things going unknown. We hate when something threatens our power and we'll go to great lengths to achieve it, any length." His smile slowly becomes angrier as he grabs Dipper by the arm. "So maybe your not mad because I just so happen to do this. Maybe your mad, because I'm doing exactly what you've would've done. Its what you always do. To your workers, to your allies, even to your own blood." Dipper's eye's widen as his brain tries not to shut down from the Diamond's logic. "Think about that as you try hard not to be killed."

"What?" Dipper asked, only to look overhead and see that the monster had finally caught up to him. Before he could properly react to this, the diamond with one mighty pull threw him upwards, flinging him right into the head of the wax monster. He held on to dear life, covering the creature's eyes. "I am so going to kill you for this, Diamond!" He threaten as the little tyrant couldn't help but smile at his little trick.

The little Diamond, once he gotten that out of his system, immediately ran around the creature backside, forcing his trident down into the ground. Taking a deep breath, the tyrant clasped both of his hands on the weapon, and began to pour all of the energy he had in him and transferred it all into it. As he did, a entire field of electricity began to form from the center, expanding wider and wider. As it made contact with the monster, the surge did its job in stopping it in its tracks, though this did nothing to prevent Dipper from feeling the shocks as well. "You should really be more subtle in you attempts to end my life you!" Dipper yelled as he dug his hands deeper into the waxen body to tighten his grip.

"Oh what do I know about subtly? I believe I stick out like a giant banana, or at least, that's what I've heard." Steven mocked as he continued his own attack. "Just be sure to pull off the amulets in time. I'm about to give off the signal." The tyrant than shot up at the sky, making it light up.

"Signal?" He asked again, only to see the Diamond had already fled from the area. The wax monster, dazed and confused, turn around, allowing Dipper to see exactly what it was the Diamond was referring to. Mabel, about 10 to 15 feet away, her bazooka was in hand, and ready to be fired. Dipper, realizing that he had no time to properly get away, grabbed ahold of the amulets on the creatures head, hoping that he still retained some control over their power.

"Bazooka blast!" Mabel screamed rather crazily as she pulled the trigger on it. As it got closer, Dipper was able to enclose himself in the blue energy as the rocker enter the creature body mass. And in no time at all, the creature exploded its wax body within a three mile radius of the area around them. Every you looked, there was wax covering something. Several of the surrounding animals were covered to, either burned by the hot wax or driven sick by the smell of the burnt substance.

Dipper, after about 5 minutes afterward. eventually was able to find the strength to come back. Thanks to the power of both amulets, he was protected from the fiery power of the blast, though the force of it sent him into the ground, hard, covering about 75% of his body in the wax. He irritably walked towards his sister and the diamond, who were some how covered in less wax than he was, sitting down on a nearby log talking to each other as if nothing happened.

"So could you have broken out of those chains without Washington unlocking them?"

"Of course I've could've. I just wanted the idiot to lead himself to his own downfall. I like to make my enemies feel stupid."

Dipper probably would've interrupted hear, if the sound of laughing didn't stop them first. They all turn behind them, showing off the head of the disfigured Washington head. "You, you think you've won? Darkness always comes to the light! We'll rise again, and you will all.." He monologues, only for Dipper to use the amulet's power to levitate the head up and tighten its hold, squishing and deforming it. "All, all I did, all I've ever done was for the survival of my kind! You've, you've damned us! You damned us all!" He screamed.

Mabel lit her hand on fire and placed it underneath the head of the creature. "You've damned yourselves. Now its time for you to burn." She smirked as she lit him up, burning the head to a crisp. With cries of pain and a brief spike in the fire's sixe and intensity, soon the head was no more. It was finally over. "Man, George Washington's a jerk." A statement no one in the trio was willing to argue.

"I truly fail to see how he became one of you country's great leader's." The Diamond agreed as he turned his attention to Mabel. "I believe I've fulfilled my end of the bargain now."

"Oh, sure thing." She said as she grabbed the amulet from Dipper's hand, lifting it into the air as it glowed. "I really have to thank you for helping me today. You, despite everything, stick by me until the end, and I really appreciate that, Diamond."

"I agreed to help you. And aside from the minor annoyances that we've encountered throughout this excursion, you've never shown me any sign to betray our truce, unlike some people." He said as he makes sure to know that Dipper meant him. "You are truly worthy of my help." He sticks out his hand to shake hers, only to get another kiss from the show girl. She levitates the broken machine from earlier and hands it over to him. Steven, still stunned from the earlier action, simply grab's his own amulet from the ground, walking away and levitates it back to his quarters, leaving the children by themselves. Though once again, as soon as he was out of their eye range, he threw up once more.

Dipper and Mabel meanwhile were back to their normal bout of sibling bickering. "You, you just gave him my device?! I, I was so close to fixing the problem! I can't believe you just did that! Do you even know what he's been doing ever since he's met us?"

"What, that he's been watching us every time we use out magic to make another amulet?" Mabel blurted out, making Dipper flinch a little in surprise. "Yeah, he told me. He revealed it to me as soon as we started to fix this mess that you brought us into." She accused.

"Me?!"

"Yeah, you! I've been able to benefit from our alliance because I don't have the compulsion to feed my ego. You've said you trusted me with my choices, but all you've done so far is backtrack and counter every move that I make! That's not trust, that's you trying to control me." She steamed as she stormed off. "I don't see why you hate him so much when you two are practically the same. At least with the Diamond, he lets me voice in what I want. I got this far because of him. I killed you attempted murderer because of him." She then levitates a mop towards him and drops it in his hands. "You said you'll always clean up my messes, so you better get rid of this wax."

All Dipper could do was curse silently as he muster all the strength he had to break the wooden mop in half.

* * *

Connie didn't know what to expect when she came home. After the crazy and eventful time that she just had, anything else would be considered a break from it all. Of course, seeing the now returned Pearl and Garnet was more or less a surprise, seeing as they haven't been around in a while. After explaining the whole ordeal with the specters and Gideon, Pearl spoke up.

"So this Gleeful kid found one of them." Pearl stated, making Connie slightly curious. "Is there any chance that he's against us?" She turned to Garnet, who remained as stoic and unfeeling as ever.

"No. Connie made the right call in letting him help her. With this, he'll at least be where we can monitor him, and the book." Garnet face began to get angrier. "But this still doesn't mean we're completely out of danger."

"Exactly." The one armed gem agreed. "Yellow Diamond's arrival on earth, as well as one of those Journals popping up, this isn't a coincidence. He's closing in, isn't he?"

"I can't be sure. I feel his prescience and power running about, but the magic, the chaos, its clouding my sight. I can't see the future as clearly as I should. All I know is that everything is about to go to hell if we don't do something about it soon."

"So we agree." Peal said as she summoned her spear with a deadly glare in her eyes. "We can't leave anything to chance."

"Yes. Tomorrow, we confront the Diamond." Garnet confirms as she looks out onto the horizon. "And we must end her."

* * *

 _Well I'm exhausted. I have no idea how you do it, Minijen. My hat goes off to you._

 _Next time: Clashing of Crystals_

Still reeling in from the lack of trust among them, the reverse trio struggles to stay stable as all of them face their first official encounter with the Crystal Gems.


	9. Clash of Cyrstal pt1

**Looking back at the last chapter, I really, really made it too long, at least in my taste. From now on, I'm going to try to keep each chapter under 11,000 words, enough to tell a story, but not long enough to make it feel stuffed.**

 **Now we're really getting into the main story now, and let me just say, writing the twins and Peridot here was a real treat for me.**

 **I own nothing.**

* * *

Greg a long time ago learned to never expect things to go his way. He'd only wish he'd learned that terrible truth before meeting a crazed galactic overlord, though considering his crazy life at this point, that was honestly the least obvious sign that his life was about to go down the crapper. The most obvious sign should've been when he decided to settle down in a town called Gravity Falls after a big blowout with his own parents. It was just your standard 'need to live my own life, you don't understand' routine. Never, ever would he had guessed the domino effect would lead to him being taken to space and held prisoner by his own son.

As for Steven, it killed him on the inside to say this, but he couldn't stand to look at him. Whenever Steven was in his sight, all he could see was hate. Pure unbridle hate, and rage, and contempt. Feelings of hatred, of fury, feeling that a father should never imagine towards his son. But he couldn't help but feel all that anger every time he looked at him. It enraged him, but no matter how much that hate was justified, he always felt in the wrong. To hate his own son, Diamond or not, always made him feel terrible.

"You know father.." Said Diamond talked down to his father as he entered his father's cell. Greg tries to hide the disgust seething through, though fails as seen by the giant scowl marked on his face. "I know that humanity is facing a great deal of retardation at the moment, but one would expect someone who spends a lot of time with vastly superior beings would be smarter by now."

"Oh really, I was thinking the exact same thing." Greg said as he struggled to get pass the underlining anger for the moment. "I would've thought all that time Blue spent with you would've soften you up by now."

"Please." Steven snorted. "Just because I'm an empath doesn't mean I must feel empathy for everything I come across. Like this for instance." He raised his hand, and used it to smack Greg across the face, sending the bound up man across the cell, smashing him hard against the wall. "You're half of the reason why I'm alive today, yet I feel very little connection to you." He picks up his father, holding him by the neck. "But I digress, if I wanted to talk about family dynamics, I would've drugged you again and have you explain why Yellow Diamond chose you of all the plentiful and expendable humans of this vast universe. No, what I want to know is how you kept a very vital piece of information from me." His grip began to tighten. "How could you not tell me about the rebels? How are the crystal Gems still alive?"

Greg rolls his eyes as he averts his gaze away from his son. "Like I said Steven, you'd be courting war if you chose to come to Earth. I warned you that people would fight back. You can see why I advertised caution, that and I really, really don't want you to succeed."

"What was that saying you use to say to me? That family is the one thing you could always count on. Nice to know that you don't even believe it." The Diamond smiled as he dropped his father.

"It's a truth that still holds, it just needs to have faith and trust to support it." Greg corrects, trying to sit back up. "And that's why your doomed to fail, son. You don't trust anyone. Not me, not your little trio of loyalists, you don't even trust White." The little Diamond flinches upon hearing that name. "How long will it be until those new friends of yours finally catch on?" The yellow tyrant looks at his father with a blank expression, though it was clear that he was curious on that last statement. "Yeah, Lapis told me about those 'allies' you've made. But, tell me, do you depend your life on them? Would you trust them to catch you as you fall?"

"Our alliance isn't built on trust. Our alliance is purely out of convenience. Once I'm through with them, then it will come to an end."

"But do they know that? This group of yours is going to crumble, all because of you my son. All because of your arrogance and thick head. You will lead yourself to your own downfall." Greg says one final time before the Diamond clenches his fist and hits him smack in the face, leaving him unconscious.

The Diamond stomps off in anger, his fist still clench and his discomfort all too clear by hisr face. "This is all the more reason why I'm glad I don't have a heart. Who'd ever want to care for ball of flesh like that?" He mocked as he made his way out the door. "Who'd ever want the love of something soo clearly not willing to give it?"

* * *

"Why would you ever want the love of someone soo clearly not willing to give it?" Dipper asked as he gave out a little sneeze. Since the little bout with the wax figures, Mabel had completely ignored Dipper entirely, and instead, elected to spend the majority of her time drooling over her latest obsession. The majority of the time, like right at this moment for instance, she could be found staring dreamily into space, unintentionally using her powers to float through the air. During their latest show, while preforming a few pyrotechnics with their flames, Mabel made everything she shot out at the audience into the shape of hearts. The fire, the explsions, the craters that were made by said explosions, even the injuries and scars that were inflicted on people, they were all in the shape of hearts. Fortunately, the audience found it 'endearing' and 'cute' enough to not file in another police report.

As annoying as her increasingly obsessive nature was getting, it was trumped by the fact that it was the perfect excuse for her to ignore him. Right not she was in the middle of carving 'S + M Forever' into the floor of the backstage as she sighed with a harmonious tone. "What was that? I couldn't hear you over the sound of pure love flowing through the air." Mabel spoke as she barely paid attention to what her brother said.

Dipper didn't have any more of it as he tried to carry his point across. "I'm telling you, dear sister, Steven isn't one that can be trusted. He was studying us the entire time! He used you to make that other amulet."

"Like how you made a lightning device to usurp his own power and use it against him?" Mabel countered, purposely keeping her eyes off of her brother.

"We barely know anything about him! For a supposed space king, he's hardly given us any evidence of his so called might."

"And you've been so open about your own past and motivations, dear brother. Relationships take time to form and develop. If you've spent half the time I do with him, than maybe you'd find yourself a little more enlightened. Did you know he's never eaten or drank a single thing in his life? The poor cute fool. One taste of may Mabel juice and he'll never go back to nutrition shots."

"He literally threw me at that creatures head! He almost killed me if I hadn't used the amulet's power to protect myself."

"After the way you've been lately, I probably would've done the same thing." Mabel rolled her eyes as she finally looked straight at Dipper again. "When it comes down to it, Diamond hasn't done anything we've wouldn't have done." A stern frown grows on her face. "And you haven't apologized for what you've done. For putting us in that mess to begin with. For dismissing me just like that without a second thought. Do that, and I might, I might, reconsider giving you 25 percent of my attention. Till than, I'll be putting it all towards something that's worth it." She puts her smile back on and resumes to carving the little Diamond's face in the floorboards.

"Again, why are you so love struck by this guy? He's a brat, and have you noticed how oblivious he is to our presence? I tried to discuss potential power sources for out plan's energy output for about an hour the other day, and he barely noticed I was there by the time I was done."

"Wow, I wish I had that level of ignorance. Maybe he'd be willing to share a few pointers. Besides, you did try to make a weapon to kill him, so talking to you might be the last thing on his mind." She defended, much to her brother's sigh in defeat. "He's just really well reserved, it a thing you have to be when commanding subordinates. But that's why he has me. Once we finally go steady, I'll be able to chip away that hard diamond exterior.." A look of lust came across her face. "no matter how long it takes. And man, is it an exterior to.."

"Okay! I get it, your hopelessly attracted to that degenerate, just don't reveal anything that I don't want to know."

"What's the matter? I thought learning about my dear Diamond was your latest obsession?" The dark sister teased.

"Not as obsessive as your infatuation." The little showman muttered. "What I want to learn is any kind of weakness, and fault in his power, or something. I refuse to believe, no matter how strong he might be, that, that he, that Diamond is unbreakable."

* * *

"A Diamond isn't unbreakable." Said the ever stoic leader known as garnet as she spoke to her team of two others. "A Diamond is not unbound by flaws as they so proclaim. A Diamond can be weak. A Diamond can be cracked. And when enough pressure is applied.." Garnet clenched her fist tightly. "a Diamond can be broken."

Listening to the angry Gem's speech was the white lanky gem and their young adopted protégé. Both had stern expressions on them as they made sure to absorb every detail, every word, every aspect of information into their minds. "We have to act fast. After her last visit to earth, it's unlikely that she's forgotten about us. If she's after it again, the first things she's going to try to do is destroy anything that posses a threat to her power." Pearl spoke up, looking down at Connie, whose expression still bore the same determination. "You need to be ready for the final strike. Judging by her shortened stature, her new form must have been weakened from her last assault on us. This may be our only opportunity to end her. Do you know what's on the line here?" She says, practically commanding an answer.

"Yes." Connie says almost immediately. "This fight, this battle, this is what my training has been leading up to. This war is everything, and in all of it, I am nothing." She raises, raising her sword up high. "I am a knight, sworn to my sword and our cause. If I am to fall, I will do it in the name of my planet." She said in a monotone, almost robotic like voice as if she's repeated this phrase her entire life.

"Good." Pearl congratulates, though her expression made you unsure of whether or not she really meant it. "Rest up, for we strike within two hours." The dark skinned girl leaves, leaving the two gems alone to stare at each other.

Silence ran through the temple. Ever since that day, talking, conversation, even general grunts or groans were pretty much non-existent, and rightfully so. There was only one thing on their minds, and with so much anger and hatred fueling their thoughts, they felt that actions were more needed to speak for them. Aside from Connie's training, the trio hardly ever spent a moment together.

Garnet, the most silent of them all, was the one to speak first. "Do you really think that she can do it?" Garnet asked, though it felt more like a warning. "She's human, a child at that. She may have been trained to be one of us, but don't think for a second that it counts for anything, especially against a Diamond."

"She has Rose's sword." The one armed gem answered defensively. "I've taught her everything thing I know, every move that I have required, every step, every swing that I have learned, as well as every move that Rose knew. She was born for this, Garnet, bred from everything that Homeworld has done to us, to her."

"But she's still human. And humans were never meant to fight our wars. She, out of all people, was never meant to be apart of this life. And when she fails.."

"If." Pearl corrected.

"If she fails," Garnet reluctantly corrected. "than that will be on you. If she falls, that will forever be with you."

"If she falls, than we try again." Pearl answered immediately. "We'll try again and again until we succeed. She knew what she would get into when she chose this life, and we'll keep doing everything we can until we finally win."

"She didn't choose this life, you chose it for her." Garnet accuses. "You went out of your way to make her like Rose just so you could feel whole again."

Pearl gasped at that accusation like it was the most horrid thing she's ever heard. "I was never trying to replace Rose! I just the only one here who still knows what we're fighting for! You've hardly done anything to keep her mission alive while I've been embracing what she has taught us, what she had shown us! Don't you ever, ever call me out on this again!" The white gems storms off to the outside, leaving the fusion to herself.

Garnet could only look down as she started squinting her face with her hand as she closed her three eyes. "What are we doing wrong?" She spoke in a soft, gentle voice.

A more raspy, angrier voice spoke out of her mouth next. "We've failed this team, we've failed this town, and we've failed our leader." The voice sighs as Garnet placed her visor back on. "And we're too broken to do anything about it."

* * *

If you ever asked Peridot what her favorite part of the day was, there was no denying that she would automatically say 'her Diamond.' How could she not though? Their leader, the very future of their existence was growing and shaping right before her eyes, and she got to be a vital role in it! That was amazing in soo many ways that she couldn't even begin to number off the reasons. Not that she would right out say it in front of everyone, but she always felt a certain lightness whenever she saw the Diamond's stern and commanding face.

The Diamond himself however was not feeling the same sentiment as he stared intently at the screen of the ship's computer. The amulet that he had managed to manufacture himself was somehow plugged into to it and the Diamond didn't dare to take his eye's off the screen for even a moment. "Nothing is beyond my control, absolutely nothing." He muttered to himself as he typed and typed.

"My Diamond." Peridot said carefully, not want to risk another poofing. "Please, I advise you to rest yourself. You've done more than your fair share on programing this object of power. Let me take over as you fulfill your carbon-base needs."

The Diamond stopped, and for a moment, the green technician believed that the Diamond would heed her suggestion. That same gleaming feeling she felt in her core was then replaced with fear as the Diamond walked forward, the yellow of his eye seeping in fury and anger. Peridot truly didn't know what was scarier, her diamond openly threatening her, or her diamond moving in his threatening silence. "Do you see me as a human?" He asks once the Diamond gets close enough to the green gem.

Confused, Peridot stammered to find the right words to say. "I, I really don't know what you mean by.."

"When you gaze upon me, what do you see?" He demands an answer once more, not even changing the pace of his breathing with every word he uttered. "Do you see me by the standards of my mother, a high and fearful ruler that can snuff defectives out like a candle? One that could, in theory, make you suffer in ways you couldn't even begin to calculate? Or do you see me as a weak, sniveling human child that needs to hold the hand of your cloddish ilk every waking moment, every step, being nursed and belittled like a pearl without a master?"

Peridot was of course, stricken with fear with every word that the young Diamond had given her. He was hardly taller than a Ruby, but that seemed to only make him scarier somehow. Nevertheless, Peridot couldn't help but feel like she was talking to his predecessor. "You, you are Yellow Diamond, of course, my Di-Diamond." Peridot managed to scramble together as the words fall right out of her mouth. "Whe-when look at you in all of your might and glamor, all I see is the birth of something really, really special. A grand gem, that has the potential to be the greatest of them all." She said with complete seriousness and sincerity. "I only wish to see you grow into the Diamond you can be."

Just like a brick wall, the Diamond was unmoved by mere words. Seeing as the technician had let down her guard, Steven grabbed ahold of her left limb enhancer, and proceeded to crush it as if it were tin foil. He continued to crumble and fold it upward without changing the emotionless expression on his face, even as he smashed Peridot's hand along with it as the green gem struggle to hide her look of pain.

"See to it that you remember what you have told me. As your Diamond, I will not have a Peridot demean my existence with her own emotional delusions. If ever require you pandering ways, I..." A signal comes on to the screen, to which the Diamond rolls his eyes. "Of all days." He sighs, grabbing the amulet and heads out the door. "See to it that those two idiots don't shatter each other while I'm out."

Peridot just nods in confirmation as she watched the Diamond leave, leaving just herself to fix her broken enhancer. "What am I do wrong?" She asks herself as her head drops a little, only able to focus on something that's been ringing in her mind for the past 12 years.

 _"I am ensuring that my legacy will be preserved in your hands."_ A scary and commanding voiced said to her. " _Everything that I am, all that I am, will be in your hands. You will be tasked with making sure my legacy is continued through my spawn. Don't disappoint me." It threatened._

"How can I ever do that if he won't let me?" She thought over. "How can I follow the will of Yellow Diamond if Yellow Diamond tells me not to?" She groans as she grasps her head in frustration. "I need an expert on this."

* * *

"I'm telling you, dear sister, this idea you have, is just plain dumb." The male twin openly state as the dark due reaches their destination. "You plan is never going to work, no way, no how, never, ever in a million years, will I ever consider that little yellow brat a friend."

Mabel, once again, shows her immense investment in Dipper's feelings as she ignores him entirely and prompts to talk to herself. "Maven or Stabel? Maven or Stabel?" she talks out loud. "What is the better ship name? This may be my toughest question I've ever come across." Dipper rolls his eyes in disgust.

"The better question is how much ice cream are you going to buy after he inevitable crumbles your feelings into specks of dust. I'd like to know ahead of time so I won't be too shocked when I find $100 missing from my wallet." He bemuses. "Have you learned anything from the vampire? Just because something is shiny and sparkly doesn't mean it makes a good mate."

"You're still made that he chose your life force to sacrifice in order to raise his unholy hoard of brothers so he could bring on a new age of monster tyranny?"

"I can still feel that stake running through my arm. Any deeper and he would've cut it off." He shudders in discomfort.

"Hey, at least my dear Diamond isn't some crazy night parasite hell bent on killing you. He just wants to kill you in general." Mabel throws out. "But that's why we're doing this. Unless you get your heads out of your rears, we aren't going to go anywhere with the plan. So bringing you along while he trains me is the perfect time to make peace."

"I never agreed to that." He states. "I only came along so that I could get a better look at his ship."

"You're impossible to deal with, you know that, right?"

"And your an insufferable annoyance, so I guess it evens out pretty well." The boy snarled back as they finally arrived at the destination, a giant green arms with a finger and everything. "So how do we do this? Do we knock on the front door or is there a set time for us to come in?"

"Just watch." Mabel answered, using the amulets power to lift a nearby boulder and slam it against the hull of the ship. In no time at all, alarms blared everywhere as they an opening came up through the ship's side, and out of it came a weapon of some sort. Dipper didn't know whether to be shocked by the danger they were in, or how blissful Mabel seemed to be at it as she hardly notice it was there. The Diamond himself came out not long after with an unamused expression as he walked towards the siblings.

"False alarm. Beta 5-2000-17 A.G." He said out loud, making the alarm stop and making the weapon disappear. "You know, one of these days I'm going to just let that thing blast you into oblivion, just for the sake of never having to hear that infernal alarm on a semi-daily basis again."

"And I missed you to, my dear Diamond." Mabel says sweetly as she hooks her arms to his. "I hope it doesn't bother you that Dipper came along today. Figured that you two could patch things up in a semi-violent manner."

"Oh, of course. Why spend hours upon hours planning the demise of the one I hate so much and instead put all that focus on being civil to the last person I'd wanted to see today?" The Diamond says in a clearly sarcastic tone.

"Believe me, I'm relishing in the idea that I'm spending the day with the one I've openly tried to destroy in a humiliating manner." The show boy let out. "But today, my sister has decided best for us to make peace as I observe your 'great and powerful' might. I don't really see the point of doing so, but who knows what to expect from a brat like you?"

"Ooookkeeeee..." Mabel immediately gets between them, knowing that this would only end in another death match between them. "I was just hoping that the two of you could at least learn a little something from each other. I know that this team of ours hasn't gotten on the smoothest of starts..."

"A team?" Dipper snorts. "A team would imply that there's trust, and last time I checked, the definition of team didn't include constant secrecy and gross invasion."

"True. And the last time I checked, trust meant you don't completely stab me in the back and try to kill me!" The Diamond pointed accursedly at Dipper. "I have done nothing but help you siblings. You have your amulet, and thanks to me, you have your lives!"

"Are, are you serious?! You'd be dead if it wasn't for us!? We helped you with that monster attack, and we helped you fend off robots in order to find that crystal bug of yours!"

"Hey, how about we forget all this messed up stuff and continue with the lesson today?" Mabel tried to stop with intervention, but not before seeing both of the respective boys light up their fists with fire and lightning.

"You know what, she's right. Its time to for you to learn a lesson in proper respect." The Diamond snickered as he clenched his amulet hard and raised up his right hand. Within seconds, a small white ball that glowed just faintly popped above his hand, and before anyone could react, the tiny sphere was launched directly at the show boy, knocking him quote a few feet away as he was slammed into the ground. "Molecular condension." He announced out loud, though it was more towards Dipper than it was Mabel. "Focus the power enough to force every molecule in the air together to create a larger mass. Be grateful that i didn't increase the density, as it would've splattered your pitiful organs everywhere."

"Your not the only one here with tricks." Dipper shrugged off thepain as he forced his body to get up. He puts on a suspicious smile and grabs onto the end of his cape and pulls it upward. "And tricks are what I specialize in." He engulfs himself in the cape, disappearing from view altogether. The Diamond showed a little sign of shock, though it was quickly replaced with annoyance once he appeared again and shoved him from behind before disappearing again. "Instant placement relocation." Dipper says as he repeats the process over and over, shoving him from side to side to getting in a few punches across his face. "Takes up a lot of power, but the results are marvelous." The Diamond tries to punch at the male twin, only to come in contact in air. "Don't bother looking a pattern, they're completely random and chaotic."

"I don't need to know where you are, I just need to know that your going to be there." He answers as soon as Dipper disappears from view again and places both faces of his hand on the ground, and in seconds right as Dipper's about to land another blow, a field of electricity surrounds the air, shocking him down to the ground as the electricity surges through them both. "The difference between your abilities and mine are that mine actually have a powerful force behind it. You use it to hide and shroud yourself, giving you the illusion of power."

"Oh, so its that kind of game. I thought this was a game of wits and skill, but I guess that was expecting way too much of you, outside your brutish exterior." He mocked. "But if you want full power, pure unhinged and unrestrained power, than I'll be more than happy to comply to your wishes." In an instant, the boy's entire body was lit with his blue flame, and with one mighty launch off the ground, he was able to pummel the yellow tyrant into the air. Every punch, every hit was as powerful as it was hot. Indulging in the more 'barbaric' side of his powers was something that Dipper always prided himself in not engaging, but he would be lying if he said that he wasn't enjoying every moment of this.

The Diamond however, despite how powerful the show boy had proven himself to be, kept his facial expression the same unmoved expression as the boy continued his attack. The boy actually thought he was succeeding in this little skirmish. It probably would've been smarter to just not let him continue, but the Diamond found it amusing. Sure there was pain, but this was but only a sample of the pain his felt throughout his life. It was fun to see his 'rival' think he has the advantage, because that made it all the more enjoyable to take that feeling of success away.

"Enough. I had my fun for today." He announced as he grabbed ahold of Dipper's fists, stopping him completely as he actually started to move the boy backward, despite the amount of fource and heat the child was producing. No matter how much Dipper tried to press onward, the Diamond's inhuman amount of strength seemed to trump his tremendously. "Figured out the lesson here?" He stopped for a moment, only to deliver a final blow to Dipper's face, punching him straight on the nose. The show boy feel again, thought this time his was only able to muster the strength to spit out tiny droplets of blood. "I'm still your superior. No amount of planning, no amount of skill, or foresight, could ever prepare you for the likes of me." He summons his trident, as if he were about to commence an execution.

Mabel, who had been watching in complete silence the entire time, leaned down to support her brother before the Diamond could do anything else. "You guys are only proving my point here. We need to be a team, and so far, all we've done as a team is struggle to survive things that have tried to kill us!" She shouted, making both of the boys freeze for a second to absorb her words. "We going in blind towards everything we do, and that'll destroy us all if we don't do something about it!"

The Diamond places his trident in the ground to offer up his response."Again, I must offer my condolences to the superior sibling here. She has at least given the future of this little group of ours some thought. What this group needs is a leader, one that can and will take control of any situation, one with experience in command and authority." A silence fills the air for a full ten seconds. "And it's clear that only one of us here has proven themselves worthy of the role."

"Ha, the day I allow you to lead me is the day I grovel at your feet. It's never going to happen." Dipper said spitefully, still having to lean on Mabel for support as he almost tripped over himself.

"Careful with what you promise yourself, the improbable always tends to happen whenever the notion is provoked." The Diamond smiles, showing off some rather sharp teeth in the front of his mouth. "You will bow to me by the name of..."

"YELLOW DIAMOND!" A thunder voice finished for him, a voice full of years of built up anger and hatred, the type of anger that drove people to do foolish things. And before any of the kids could react to it, the Diamond's hands suddenly flew into the air, grabbing ahold of what appeared to be a spear. A spear that, if not for the yellow boy's reflexes, would've flown straight through his face. "What.." The boy tried to question, only to be thrown into the air by another object, a large gauntlet with a star symbol at the very front of it. The speed and force of it caught the boy off guard, sending him flying until he came in contact with a tree. The next thing that he knew, a dark skinned girl, one that had about an inch or two on him, was standing right in front of him with a vaguely familiar pink blade that was fatally close to his thick, fat neck.

"Stand down." The girl commanded of the little tyrant, though once she got a better look at him, the initial confusion set in. She was told by the Gems that she probably had a weaker, smaller form, and she hadn't gotten a good look at her the last time they encountered her, but this, this was nothing like the Gem's described Yellow Diamond. The attire Pearl described was the same, aside from the added cape, and had the sinister yellow eyes and diamond shaped pupils, but apart from that, she looked nothing like they said. Her skin was paler, almost flesh like, her hair was in spikes and colored a pitched black, and the size, while a reformed one, was too pathetic for the standards of someone like a Diamond. In short, Connie was blindsided at the sight before her.

As the taller girl was processing what was in front of her, the Diamond immediately seized the opportunity and smacked the sword away from his body, using the one second window of time he had to charge in at her, sending a powerful punch to her stomach, and then slammed his fist down on her back as she tried to lean down and gasp for air.

The ever alert Connie found herself stumbling to the ground, a thought of defeat entered her mind, all of her training, her entire life devoted to this one moment, now was about to fall apart on her in only a manner of seconds. The Diamond once again summoned his trident as he raised it high in the air mightily.

"I have no idea what I've done to deserve your ire, nor do I care." The Diamond said in a scarily calm tone. His eyes ever was filled with death itself as he prepared to strike. "Just know that tales of your idiocy will be told throughout the halls of my court, so your demise will have more significance than most." Connie's eyes widen as her she begins to shake a little at the very thought. This Diamond, she, she didn't care about any of the lives lost. It, death, death meant nothing to her. It was just a word and action to the diamond.

"Never again!" Another voice called out as a flash of white came at the Diamond, slamming him to the ground. The Diamond was mildly shocked at the sight before him now. A pearl with a significant chip in its Gem, along with only one arm on her body. Her piercing blue eye scowled with years and years of built up hatred as it flooded out of her body. "You will never take someone from me ever again!" She warned as she aimed her spear at his gem, daring him to move.

"Hey, back off of him!" The dark girl shouted, at first enjoying the fight with amusement, but actually began to worry once she saw her dear diamond on the ground. She left her brother's side, who fell with a small dud once his support left him, and charged at the lanky pale lady, only to stop suddenly at another sight before them.

Another lady, this one larger, and various shades of purple, with a box like afro on her head, and three eyes filled with complete anger. She stood before the twins, staring at them as if one twitch of an air could obliterate them if they moved.

"Stand aside. You should stay away from the like of that monster." She stated, trying to force the siblings away. Humans were never meant to be involved in their lives, Connie's case being a clear point of this, so that's why they've also elected to never get involved with humanity openly again. It was just better to live in secret and discretion, their were less destruction, less distractions, and most of all, less contact from others.

"No chance, cube hair." Mabel rudely retorted, enveloping the large lady in her blue hold of magic. To Garnet, it was familiar, all too familiar a feeling as she was hoisted into the air. Mabel started to crackle loudly as the white of her eye was being replaced by the glow of blue.

Garnet could only gasp as she saw what the girl was using. "Ho-w, how did you get that?!" Her voiced shook just a tiny bit, but enough to know that much fear was in it. "We sealed those away."

"Oh, this?" She held up her amulet. "Just a little from my dear diamond over there, and a marvelous one at that." Her lips practically oozed infatuation. "And if I remember correctly, I'm pretty sure that he told me if i concentrate long enough" the pressure on Garnet began to increase. "I could force your own body to implode upon itself." Garnet was choking, yes, a being that couldn't breathe somehow was able to choke. No words could escape her mouth as she just felt the gems on her body practically trying to pop out of her hands.

Mabel would've gone through with her threat, if Connie didn't intervene and punch the show girl across the mouth, allowing Garnet to escape her tight squeeze, though the little predicament left her a little weak as she started to breathe in a little slowly. Connie didn't hesitate and tried to join Pearl in the Diamond's poofing, if Mabel hadn't quickly regained her balance and lit up her fists. "What is your deal!? Why are you attacking us?!"

"Why are you working with that, that monster!?" Connie countered. "Don't you know the lives that, that have been ruined by that thing?! The world is better off having that Diamond shattered and destroy.." Connie didn't even finish her sentence as the deranged show girl jumped out at the sword swinger, grabing her by the neck as the dark skinned girl struggled to keep the girl from strangling her.

"You, you, you will not take away my diamond." She said in practically a whisper, though she might as well have shouted it as all three of the rebels stared in shock at what she said.

Her Diamond.

Full of anger, Pearl leaned in forward with her spear and pressed it against the Diamond's gem. The Diamond himself was still staring out at the chipped gemstone on her head to really be focusing on the 'threat' before him.

"What, what, what did you do to that child, you, you monster?!" The pale Gem demanded an answer. "To make a human serve you, to, to, to.." She repeated over and over again.

"I didn't force them into anything. They willingly came to me, as I suppose that little organic pet of yours has." A small touch of grimace forges in what Pearl could've called her stomach, suddenly gaining a not so good feeling deep inside. "But what's really interesting is you." The Diamond continued to calmly say. "To have a gem broken, but to not be shattered, and only lose a limb?" His smile grows creepily larger as Pearl pushed the spear down harder, not that it did anything. "That must've been and incredibly painful and excruciating experience. Something incredibly powerful and focused to get that type of result. It must be an incredibly difficult life for you." The Diamond mocked in false sympathy. "To be a defective, in both function, and in this pathetic mess you call a life."

"You, you, you did this to me!" Pearl outraged, lifting the spear up, and slamming it in the ground beside his head. "You broke me down! You took her away from me! You created this, this, this hell for all of us to live through! And I won't rest until I pay you back in full!" She reaches out for her spear again.

'Perfect. Exactly as planned." The Diamond thought, grabing ahold of the weapon as well, send a powerful jolt, though not enough to poof her, directly to the Pearl's body, shocking her just enough for the Diamond to pick himself up and point a finger at Pearl.

"Now tell me, how painful was it when my mother preformed your, hehe, severance? Was it like this?" He sent another jolt at her. "Or like this?" He used both arms this time to send the jolts, Pearl's form glitching in and out as it did, the gem on her head actually began to take in some of the attack as well."

"No, no, no pain I endear will ever stop me from doing what I was meant to do, stop your evil from spreading everywhere." Pearl stated, trying to remain undeterred. But one word from the Diamond ringed and stayed in her head.

Mother.

His Mother.

"Your, your mother?" She said in confusion, that word managing to catch the leader's attention as well.

"Oh, its quite the story, something that you off colors actually helped inspire." The little tyrant smiled once more with evil glee. "It's a tale of rather cruel irony, but lets just say, homeworld became way more interested in earth once 'she' got out of the picture." Garnet came up to him, trying to charge at him, only for the Diamond to electrocute her as well, pinning her to the ground. "Abominable war machine." He jeered, and Garnet could only growl in response as the Diamond continued.

"Did you think that you would 'end it all?' Finally win the battle in a war that has long ended? Finally take down the 'villain' that has taken from you the very source of your defiance? Laughable." He snorted. "You've failed at all counts, and you'll never get the chance to get it. I'm not the Diamond you know. I am.."

"Dead." Connie voiced in, finally throwing Mabel off her body and quickly grabbing her sword. The showgirl let out a cry of alarm, but it was all for nothing as Connie trusted her sword forward right before the Diamond had time to properly react to her attack.

shank

A dead silence filled the air as the Gems, Mabel, and even Dipper, who had elected to watch the Diamond fend for himself, couldn't help but stare at the sight before them, though why the Gem's were silent was for a completely different reason.

Blood. The Diamond's blood was everywhere, on the ground, on his clothes, on the sword. The sword had been drive into the right side of his chest. Connie felt a tinge of satisfaction as she pulled it out. Any second know, he would fall.

It never came. The Gems were confused by that alone, but the sight of blood, now that, that was something they couldn't unsee. The sight had to be some sort of trick, an, illusion, some, some sort of illusion. The Diamond, as if to disprove the assumptions, coughed up even more blood, struggling to speak as the vital red liquid filled his mouth.

"NNOONONONONONO!" Mabel shouted in disarray. "Dear, dear diamond!" She cried out in what looked like genuine sadness and kneeled down at his fallen state, showing far more concern for him than she did for her brother earlier. "You, you, your going to be fine, just, just, just.." She repeated over and over again, trying to hug him in comfort.

"Get off!" The Diamond's throws her off of him as he gets up, holds up his chest, trying to ignore the pain. The earlier boldness and pride was gone as his deathly glare filled the air. He was done with this. "You've awaited this day, but now I'm done! No more mocking, no more fun! Today, you'll feel the wrath that's the Diamond's son!"

The three rebels couldn't even begin to describe their furthering confusion as the Diamond grabbed connie by her arm and threw her at Pearl, knocking them both back as they sank into the ground, feeling the shear anger of his scowl. He than leftedd up his left hand in the air, surging a large amount of energy. The electricity surged throughout his arm. He was going to poof them, and personally smash their gems with his hands.

But, he couldn't. Before he could even try to attack them, the electricity for some reason stayed in his arm, and not only that, it backlashed at him, somehow making him feel the force of his own attack. The blood bleeding out of him electrified more as he sank lower and lower to the ground.

"What, what did you do to me!?" He demanded. "What did you do?!" He fell over on his face, failing to regain himself.

"How, how, what, who is he?" Garnet questioned first, not sure how to respond to what they were just shown. A quick glance at Pearl and Connie told her that they were all thinking the same thing.

This Diamond, whoever it was, was human.

Before they could even attempt to get any further, Mabel rose up, her eyes watery but with a heart full of rage, made he hands glow as she chanted. "Away from now, end the fight, go back to orgin, away from sight!" The three glowed for a brief second before they were gone in a 'poof'.

Dipper rose with a scowl. "You shouldn't have barged in like that, dear sister, and you've shouldn't have used that spell. You're still not that well versed in it." Dipper began to berate, and received a slap to the face as a result. "What the.."

"You ass." Mabel stated. "You huge ass. You could've helped out and saved our skins at any moment, but, no, you had to have your grudge match. You had to have your rival, to prove your better, and you sat their, and did nothing as we were potential fighting for our lives!"

"First of all, despite this 'team' we have, I could care less about him and who tries to kill him. Second, he beat me just the same, so it's not like I could've jumped in if i wanted to, which I still don't! Third, you did the same as we were fighting! You could've just used the amulet to stop us and force us to make peace, but you sat back because you wanted to see your 'dear diamond' fight and upstage you brother!" He accused, pressing his finger on her chest. "Your a hypocrite, and a blind, self centered love struck fool that would marry a shoe if it talked and gave you the slightest amount of attention!"

"And your an arrogant, smart ass jerkward that can't acknowledge the fact that there's some else out there better than him! Someone who can't let it go because his dear old uncle didn't tell him 'i love you' enough!"

"Well at least I can say that he did love me, unlike the brat of a sister that he got stuck with just because I wouldn't leave without you!"

"Shut, shut, SHUT UP!" Both twins looked at the fallen Diamond, barely on his knees as he talks up at them. "Your both the biggest pains I've ever met in my short lifespan, and if your constant bickering goes on even the slightest amount further, I'll dig into my own wound deeper until I pass out in pain, because I'd prefer that over listening your meaningless squabble!" The diamond loses his balances and falls a little further, only to be caught by his own hands. He lifts up his right hand and speaks into it. "Open, Beta 20512." The door of the green ship opens, showing off the inside.

"What, what are you doing?" The show boy questions. Even in his weak state, the Diamond wouldn't be so foolish as to just leave open the base of his operations.

"You wanted know more about me, well here's you chance." The diamond stared up directly into the gaze of Dipper's eyes. He hold's up his side a little in pain, the electricity in his blood still causing him pain. "Take me inside."

* * *

"You are aware that I wouldn't do this under normal conditions." Peridot said as she stood before the father of her beloved diamond. "You're human, you're everything that my Diamond despises about himself." Greg only roles his eyes at her 'introduction'. "Your nothing to him and by the time you've reached your expiration date, we'll simply discard your withered carcass on the surface of the earth so that.."

"You've made your point. I'm a worthless human and your a conceited alien, and my life has no value to anyone. Is there anything else that I don't know?

"I-I-I.." Peridot struggled to say. She couldn't go on with this. This was against everything that she was created for. This, this shouldn't be how it is. This, this whole situation wasn't logical, yet somehow it made the most sense? Ah, why did her Diamond have to..

No. Stop thinking that. Stop. Never blame your Diamond. This is what she did, and that meant it was right. And if you're doing whatever you can to help your Diamond, than that makes it right, right?"

"I, huh, how, how are you able to, to, to, ahhh! This, this is impossible! I'm asking a human for help, like a human knows more than me. I, I should be able to solve this myself! I should, should be able to figure it out myself!"

"But you haven't, which is why your here, right?" Greg interrupted, making the green gem pause. "You don't know how to handle Steven, and it interferes with what you need to do, correct." The green gem tries to open her mouth in question. "The halls of the ship echo, so I can pretty much every irritated rant you go on every now and then." The green Gem slowly closes her mouth in embarrassment. "Look, I'm his father, but you have more control over his life than I do."

"You, you must, you must know something!" Peridot urged. "I'm going out of my way for this while also trying to avoid my Diamond's vengeful wrath! I'm, I'm, I'm stuck here!" She backs away with her head down low. "I'm trying to do my best at my job, but he wont let me. I, I just want to please him." Her voice says in a sad whisper.

Greg sighs. He had nothing to gain here and this would mostly backfire on him in some way. Why did he want to help her? Why did he want to help her with his son, the son that has tortured and tormented and ridiculed him.

"Being a parent means deciding for you kid most of the time." Answer: because Steven was his son. "He may be your diamond, but he's also a child that's growing. He may be wise and smart and independent, but he's a child that most of the time goes on impulse. Being a parent mean putting your foot down and forcing what needs to be done.

"But, but he's my Diamond! He's my leader, he's, he's.."

"Would you say that he's ready to lead homeworld along side the others?" Greg said, one again making the green Gem silent once more. That, that was truly a hard question to answer.

Before she could give it another moment's thought, Peridot heard the ship door being closed. "We're not done here." She finished before heading out of the prisoner room, leaving the prisoner with a slight look of despair left on his face.

"He's back early. Maybe he's finally exterminated his ties with those.." She trailed off, once again becoming speechless at the sight of her Diamond, bleeding heavily and being supported by one of the two humans that had entered the room.

"We, need you to help us." The show girl said in a pleading voice. "Please, please help my dear diamond."

* * *

 _Next time, The trio is forced to connect with each other as they plan their retaliation._


	10. Clash of Crystal pt2

"What, what, what did you do to my Diamond!?" Peridot frantically screamed as she pointed her limb enhancer at the twins. Anger, furious, unhinged anger came to the surface as a ball of energy formed right before them. Mabel of course, took immediate offense to this and let go of her half of the Diamond to confront the green gem, leaving Dipper alone to carry the barely conscious tyrant, to whom he immediately dropped with a sly grin. "You have approximately 12.4 seconds before I aptly rid of your carbonic masses from our presence."

"Hey, hey, hey! Watch it, green bean!" Mabel shouted, pointing her finger at her as she ignored her threat. "I'm the one actually trying to help my dear diamond here, so do whatever your job is to do and do it already!" Peridot doesn't move an inch as her energy blaster was about to fire, until the Diamond caught all of their attention with another jolt that surged from his body.

"Let, let them help." He reluctantly uttered out, covering up the wound with his left hand, still clearly trying to hide his pain. "Se, se, set the table, and, and get me help." He manages to get out, before falling on his face one more.

Peridot gives a concerned look at her fallen Diamond before staring at the twins once more. The female was as clearly concerned about him as she was,, while the male seemed to have a certain twinge of disgust on his face. She had heard her Diamond's rambles on this particular human, how he gave no regard or respect to him out all. It was a truly disgusting sight to see on someone, and she was holding in every impulse going through her head that told her to dispose of them both immediately. But her Diamond had told her to let them help. On one hand, this could be seen as one of those times that her Diamond's human progenitor told her about. She could simply say no, and then pray to the stars that he didn't shatter her afterward. But on the other hand, her Diamond was possibly bleeding to death. She could use all the help she can get.

"Fine. Hold him still." Peridot agreed, pressing a few things on her limb enhancer's screens, deactivating her blaster and allowing a table right to rise up from the ground behind the twins. Mabel quickly got back to the little Diamond's side and helped him up on it. The Diamond groaned a little in discomfort as he tried to shake the pain off as much as he could. Electricity wouldn't stop surging out of his wound as it became more and more clear that it was not going to be stopped anytime soon. "How, how did this happen to him!?" Peridot once again yelled in concerned anger. "Why are his life fluids leaking out of him?"

"He got a well deserved stab with a sword." Dipper snarked, clearly enjoying this moment way more than he should have. "It's not that big of a deal. You're acting like this has never happen before."

"It hasn't." Peridot said, a little snidely. "As far as I know, he has never bled to this degree ever. The cut is deep, and it's, it's doing something with his abilities."

"Does, does this have something to do with him not having a heart?" Mabel asked with concern, while Dipper's eyes widen at that question.

"How did you.." Peridot tried to get her to answer, but stopped herself, knowing that this was definitely not the most important thing at the moment. "Yes, no, I, I don't know." She answered with a sadden expression, clearly feeling guilty for not knowing. "He, his biology is unique to his kind, it's, it's different than most."

"I, I don't care about that! How can we help him?!" Mabel shouted a little louder, a little blue from the corner of her eyes beginning to illuminate. "He's getting worse." Steven's electricity than started to form around him like some sort of shield.

"I, I don't know!" Peridot shouted. "I, I, my function is to help my Diamond with any and every technological and educational need! I, I'm not properly prepared or suited for this function!"

"How pathetic. Your suppose to watch over the brat, and yet you don't know the first thing about watching over him. That explains where the ego comes from." Dipper continued to mock him. "You twats are so easy to manipulate that of course he feels like he's in control. A lot of good that did him in the end." Dipper walked over to the green technician. "Your leader is about to die, and you'll probably cry yourself to sleep, knowing how much time you've wasted with raising such a stupid, defective runt of a.." Dipper, once again showing off how one can talk himself into hell, felt the floating fingers of Peridot surround his neck and threaten to strangle him.

"Never call me a twat. Never call my work a waste. And never, ever, ever, call my Diamond a defect." She chucks him across the room, leaving him to groan in pain in the corner as she went to check on her little leader. "My Diamond has worked too hard all of his life to let it all be belittled by the very part of himself that he hates the most." Mabel walked towards her brother and helped him up.

"Wow, you sure do know how to press all the wrong buttons, don't you." She gets her brother up, but for some reason doesn't let go of his hand. "Next time, apply the smart to your brain instead of your mouth. It'll save you all the grief and bruises. Now help her out."

"I failed to see exactly when I agreed to that. I have no attachment here, and thus, I have no loyalty to anyone." He turns to leave, only to find that Mabel's grip hadn't left his arm. If anything, it seemed to get stronger as his body was somehow forced back down by it's intensity.

"I am in love with that boy over there." She looks at him with a cold, dead stare. "I don't care how much you hate it, how much you try to shrug it off or destroy it, it'll never go away. And right now, you are going to do it because I say you will. I'm the one with the power at the moment." She points the amulet on her. "And I'm probably the only one who could ever fend off Dorito head over there, because if Steven dies, I can assure you that she'll know who to blame for it, and I won't lift a finger to help you. So choose wisely, brother." She continued to stare at him, making sure he didn't so much as breathe in a way she didn't like.

"I will give you this, dear sister, you've truly found a kindred spirit. You both believe that you have some sort of power over me." Dipper muttered with a scowl before finally making his way back towards the yellow brat, who's body continued to burst out electricity, making it difficult for Peridot to monitor him, as seen by her many ducks and dodges of said blast of electricity. "Once again, the greatness of his authority proves itself to be a shining example of perfection." Peridot doesn't respond as she pulls up her screens, still trying to get a read on her Diamond's condition.

"By the Star's, why does this have to be soo complicated?" The technician continued to sigh as the unwelcomed feeling of failure began to overwhelm her body. "Why does he have to pocess an organic form?"

"Why do you keep beating around the bush?" Dipper said a little more louder, this time getting Peridot's attention. "You clearly don't have an idea on what you're doing. Just admit your failure and let me take over."

If Peridot's anger was subtle before, than it was clear as white stain on black a black dress now, completely noticeable and a bit distracting. However, the grunts made by her diamond made her comply to the boy's damand as she allowed him to get closer to her spec's. "It appears that the deep incisions have caused his natural electrical output to increase and run rampant." Peridot explained as much as she could.

"You said that he doesn't have an actual heart?" He turns to his sister, who gives a small nod. "Than that answers my theory about that stone on his chest." He says out loud as he continued to scroll through the data. "His blood doesn't circulate with a normal cardiovascular system. That stone on his chest is electrifying every platelet, every cell of blood, forcing it to move all around his body, almost as if he was constantly connected to a defibulater."

"So his electrical abilities are going haywire because his blood work functions more like a machine." Peridot caught on and began to conclude. "His veins and arteries are like wires, they become potentially dangerous when there's a cut or opening around them!" She exclaimed with a little more excitement than she really should've, as seen by the stares given to her by the twins, and the moan by her Diamond. "Ah, so we need to cover his wounds with something that'll insulate him until he can fully recover."

"The only problem is that his body is leaking too much energy right now to let it heal itself. We need to drain it somehow before applying any form of insulation, or else we would most likely blow him up." He pauses for a moment to let a smile grow on his face. "A dream, so close to coming true, yet it remains out of my realm of reality."

"Enough fantasying." Mabel gives him a small smack on the head. "How are we going to possibly drain his powers? He said it before that he's like a walking generat..." Mabel suddenly forms a groan as Dipper's smile becomes even bigger than before. "You have got to be kidding me."

"I believe a 'I told you so' is in order, my dear sister." He didn't even bother to hide the enormous amount of pride he was feeling for himself. "My need to 'feed my ego' is exactly what we need to help the brat. Now that is irony of the highest order." He turns his attention to the green gem once more as Mabel began to curse inwardly. "I need the generator that he brought in a while ago. It's the only thing we have that could possibly weaken him long enough."

"And then what?" Peridot once again proved to be a skeptic of every decision made so far. "Leave my Diamond open to attack, completely defenseless as you take the opportunity to break him?! I think not. This is a decision that only my Diamond can make, as I will not leave his fate in the lives of two lowlifes that he just so happen to take pity on!"

"Hey, whatever you say. I don't care either way, because his fate is not up to me to decide. I'm just only the guy that can save him, but if you insist on waiting until its to late, than I'm more than happy to agree with you." Dipper smug grin continued to be of grand annoyance to everyone as he began to walk away. "You might want to make up your mind on what to do though, he probably wont make it past, I say, the next hour or so." Peridot would've tried to rip him a new one, though Mabel confronted her, grabbing on to her right limb enhancer.

"I know that we're not exactly what you call the image of perfection, or the sign of loyalty, or look of something truthful, faithful, trustworthy, or.." She trailed of, stopping to think about her poor choice in words. "Really lost my train of thought there." she chuckles, leaving only Peridot's unamused gaze. "He's not just your Diamond, he's my Diamond too." Peridot's face lighten up just a little in curiosity. "I want to be by his side, I want to see him happy, I want to give everything I have on the inside to serve and please him in any way I can, and I know that it's what you want to do to." Peridot begin to stare down at the side a little more, processing the words. "He can't speak for himself at the moment, but I'm sure that if he was awake, he would trust you enough to protect him from my brother. But he can't do that. You have to make the decision for him. You don't have to trust us now, you just have to trust your own judgement to make the right choice."

To hear such a servile attitude from a human was, for lack of better words, illogical to Peridot. She wondered if pearl's could even dream to matching that level of loyalty to their masters. While the female hadn't proven anything to make her on level as her or her Diamond, she could at least admire the respect she was attempting to give her Diamond. But it still didn't comfort her with the decision she was about to make. She needed to act fast right now, or her Diamond could come to an end once more. She certainly didn't have the time to figure out the generator on her own, and she definitely didn't have enough time to come up with another idea. "By the Star's, please forgive me, my Diamond." She begun to press on her holo-screen more, making an opening in the floor of the ship, revealing the very same device that Dipper had made.

Dipper, once more, held a he smile on his face as he begun to inspect it over. The damages made to it earlier were completely fixed, which was a grand sight for him, but upon further inspection, the Diamond seemed to had taken some liberties with owning the device. It was a bit smaller and had a shiner shell on it, most likely for better absorption, insulation, and usage. The design of it know, as much as the boy hated to admit, was good, maybe a little better than when he had first made it. "Just make sure to stand by. This could be a while.

* * *

A while later..

Feeling pain and weakness was really starting to get cumbersome to the little Diamond. It was starting to happen on a routine bases that the intial thought of feeling pain actually felt boring. It still hurt like hell and pissed him off beyond belief to actually be stabbed, but it wasn't as if he didn't sorta expect something like that to happen to him sooner or later. Living as what people would say as 'the greatest hope for your kind' really made him a little more aware to people's thoughts and intentions, though in his youth his father would describe it as 'a sense of healthy paranoia'. A small part of him wished that his father could've said something a little more useful to him every once in while, instead of the usual whining, the constant sarcasm, and his complete disapproval over everything.

 _"If you don't like what some else does, than why would you ever want children?"_ Steven asked him during one of his bouts of interrogation. _"From what you've told me, children almost never desire to be controlled by authority."_ Now that he thought about it, that may explain why the flesh bag was so malevolent towards him. _"Not for long."_ He mentally grinned at that thought. If the plans for the amulet went accordingly, than he'd never had to worry about Dipper attacking him again, as well as ensure the complete compliance and/or destruction of the show boy at any moment if he so chose to desire it.

"Banana Baby." Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear. "Hey, Banana Brat, wake up." Dipper's voice was even more annoying with the constant headache he was feeling. "Your minion over there gave me back the generator, which we had to use to drain your power output before mending your wounds. So in short, I saved your life, so a little thank you is in order. I'd like to have at least one more victory before marking this as a perfect day, for me at least." The taunts fell short on the Diamond's ears as he moved his body, stiff and still aching all over, sitting up straight to regain some semblance of balance once more. That feeling did not last long as Mabel shoved her brother to the side and immediately gave the tyrant a big, long hug. The little guy was forced to endure it as he had so little strength or concentration to focus on throwing her off.

"Oh my love, oh my Diamond, you're okay, you're alive, and you're all mine to embrace!" Mabel shouted in glee, fully taking advantage of the Diamond's weaken state. No way on any other day and time would he even allow her to think about getting this close to him. Peridot immediately lifted her blasters once more, fully intending on obliterating the girl off her leader. "BACK. OFF." Mabel looked up at Peridot and spoke in a very unnaturally deep voice. "He's mine to hug! Go get someone else to embrace!" She immediately switched back to her 'sweet nature' and deepened her hug for the Diamond. She slowly lowered her arms to watch the two.

"I'm his Diamond. I was made to serve him." She pouted in a small voice and light green blush, crossing her arms. It was an appalling sight to see. Her Diamond did not deserve to be touched by this insignificant clod! This was her Diamond. Only she had the right to hold him! "Wait, what was.." Peridot blushed harder, not sure if she had thought what she thought she thought.

"Back, off. My awakening is hardly a time to be festive." Steven finally manages to get a word in, shoving the girl off of him as he planted his feet on the ground, making sure that he didn't wobble in the slightest. _'The last thing they need to see is me looking even more weak.'_ "Especially with the crystal gems out there. We held an advantage with our anonymity in the beginning, but now they have confronted us straight on. And they have now doubt now discovered the nature of my, condition. We need to strike now, or else we risk them attempting to finish the job they've started." He begins to walk off, only for Peridot to get in the way.

"My Diamond, I must implore you to rest up now. The Crystal Gems are currently at full strength, and you, are not." She said with her foot down, though the nervousness of her tone was all too apparent.

"I have a solution to that problem. All I need to do is to finish incorporating the data on the amulet." He grabs her by the arm and angrily whispers to her, making sure to keep it out of the twin's hearing range. "It could take the next two hours to even finish utilizing the correct assortment of.."

"I've figured it out." Peridot interrupts, making the little Diamond raise his right eyebrow. "While you were resting off your wounds, I've taken the liberty of incorporating all of your project's data into my enhancer's computers. If you can give me the next ten minutes, I'll be able to complete it with 100% efficiency."

"Before I take the time to process whether or not to harvest your gem.." The Diamond gritted his teeth as he slowly talked to the green gem who was now sweating bullets. "..explain to me, why you looked over my authority and imprinted my data, why you decided to just let the flesh bag over there have access to the machine again, and why you are even considering defying my orders?"

"Because, because.." Peridot began to freeze up again. This was probably going to end up as her biggest success that'll go down in history, or her biggest blunder that would end up purging her from it. "I, I believe that this course of action is the best for your current state. I cannot say that you are more than able to defeat the accursed rocks that put you in this state, but if we are to be honest, you body is simply to, soft." A growl could be heard from the Diamond's mouth. "It's, it's impressive by all means, no ordinary organic lifeform would've been able to pull through such an experience, but, but your body is still growing, and we still have much to learn from it. I believe that it is in the best interest of everyone, including you, if I take over your plans for the device as you rest yourself and formulate a proper solution to the problem."

"You've spoken with my father, haven't you?" The Diamond concluded, making the green gem squirm with nervousness. "It's obvious. The only source of rebellion on this ship would clearly try to get his message out somehow." He reaches into the confines of his outfit, and for a moment, Peridot began to pry that her shattering would only be for a quick second, and that her shards would be used to make a better, smarter Peridot to serve her Diamond. "At least you've managed to hold on to some dignity before confronting me. Here." He holds out the amulet, and Peridot eyes it like he had just given her the secrets of the universe. "Go with my specific data plans. If so much as a single decimal is off, than everything will be ruined." He continued to whisper in what would've been in Peridot's ear.

And watching from the sidelines, the two twins found themselves in very awkward silence. It was a bit discomforting to say the least. No jabs at each others expense, no pranks, no trying to one up the other, no arguing in the slightest. It was just quiet, something that really didn't suite the two at all.

"I saved him. You don't have to be pissy anymore." Dipper said out loud to break the silence. "I've did away with my ego to saved the waste of space you call your soul mate."

"Yeah, I know that. And I'm not mad at you for that." Mabel immediately snapped back at him.

"And yet your mad at me for another reason?" Mabel nodded. "Is this about what I said earlier with the adoption thing. You know that we..."

"Oh like I really care about that." Mabel interrupted with a roll of her eyes, making the show boy a little more confused. "If I wanted or actually cared to be Stanford's favorite, I would've already tried to off you. And believe me, there was so many times I had the opportunity to do so, half of which were not while you were sleeping fyi." Mabel groaned as she rubbed her head. "We're trying to cause each other pain during a hysterical moment. It's nothing we haven't done before."

"Then why the cold treatment right now?" He asked again. "Is this because you believe I don't trust you? Mabel, your literally the only one around here that I can trust. I have no one else to confide to. This plan of ours requires us to have that, no matter what our Great Uncle's note says. I have no choice but to trust you. Without you, the plan would never work, and you have helped save my life.."

"You say you have gratitude, but you never show it." Mabel interrupted again. "You brushed me to the side like I was nothing. With the wax figure thing, I took it seriously, I was trying to be like you through it all, being motivated to save your life, and you treated it like I was playing some sort of game. I wasn't. I am not nothing, Dipper. I am your equal through all of this, and you've haven't shown any appreciation for any of the decisions I have made."

"Do you want me to say I'm sorry, because I'm not going to say it." Now it was Mabel's turn to stare at him awkwardly. "Just because I don't show it or say it, doesn't mean I don't. It's not my fault that this is how you feel, because it's far from what's really happening. I said I trusted you on more than one occasion. I trusted you with the deal with the Diamond, I supported you and comforted you when that water lady was about to kill us, and I've done nothing but try to help you understand this plan ever since we've started. So don't say I haven't."

"But it doesn't feel.."

"Feelings have nothing to do with it!" He exclaimed. "Just because you have a certain feeling about something, it doesn't mean it has the slightest effect on it. A kid could say that being injected with snake venom could say it feels good, but that doesn't mean it's good for him. I love you and I trust you, and how you feel about it doesn't make it less so. And if this is about the Diamond, than that's your problem. I refuse to let go of my suspicions and how I chose to go about it. You just need to grow up, because that's how it is."

And that was the end of that. The siblings went back to the silence, having confronted the awkwardness, but not having resolved it. If anything, they really just made things worst with every word said. "You must be the diplomatic one out of you two." The Diamond chimed in, gaining both of their attention. "You truly are the world's leading example of man's ability to keep peace."

"Oh right, you're still alive. The one thing that ruins today." Dipper countered, expecting the Diamond to respond back with another snide remark. To his surprise, the Diamond simpley walks and plants himself in the middle of them, sighing as he crosses his arms.

"Save the discourse for a time that's worth it. I need to think." He scowls lightly before closing his eyes. "It's not every day that I'm caught off guard like this. I knew this would happen, but so soon?"

"Yeah, about that, they seemed pretty eager to kill you, up until they almost did. They had you right then and their, and then, they stopped." Mabel recalled. The faces they had, they were appalled but what had just happen, scared at what they had just did. "They were shocked by seeing you bleed."

"Of course, Gems don't bleed. Our heart, brain, and life is all tied to our Gem's." He points to his own yellow stone. "The bodies are nothing more than solidified light. Once the form is periced in any 'fatal' way, it'll dissipate until a new form can be made."

"Essentially holograms then." Dipper stated, to which the little Diamond nods. "But that doesn't explain you. You've certainly been harmed enough to have your form pierced, but you haven't, and that doesn't explain why you bleed either. What makes you so special among your kind?"

The Diamond pauses for a moment, pondering whether or not he should explain it. Well, by this point the Crystal Gems had probably figured it out, so why keep anyone else in the dark. He certainly couldn't have that information used against him, so really, nothing was keeping him from telling anyone else.

"Remember when I said my kind doesn't have a natural birthing process.?" He turns to Mabel, who shakes her head. "That's because Gems aren't meant for birth at all." His Gem lights up, and a image of a tall, yellow lady pops up from it. She wore some sort of strange helmet piece on her head, but aside form that, her outfit was essentially a giant version of Steven's, minus the cape. She held an intimidating look on her, the kind that screamed 'I control everything that I see.' "This is Yellow Diamond, one out of the four rulers of homeworld, as well as my gem Progenitor." He said with an almost dejected tone. "As a part of a plan to take our kind into a brand new era, my mother, over a decade ago, selected one human from the residence of Gravity Falls to take part in project: resurrection." A picture of Greg, younger, and with hair that was more combed and less wild and all over the place. "Greg Universe, a rather pathetically average man with a pension to get involved with what he shouldn't."

The twins didn't really expect to get a flat out explantion of his. With everything he's been through today, and his rather stubborn nature, the two half expected to never know anything about his past. "So, you're.."

"Half human, yes I am." The silence that followed that was definitely one for the books. "Yeah, yeah, I'm half of what I hate the most, big surprise." He rolled his eyes as he took down his hologram. "It's nothing I'm proud of. Every time I look at my reflection, I'm reminded of something so, so out of control. Seriously, like I'd ever want to be associated with a species that's always fighting and destroying itself. It's just so, so, chaotic. " He takes a moment to shiver in disgust.

The two twins stare at him, the twins finding themselves rolling their eyes in what he revealed. "Okay, as entertaining as that little trip into your psyche was, can you explain exactly why we we're still here? I'd assume you'd have something planned."

"Yes, Yes, I do." The Diamond regained his smile. "Those Crystal Gem's had no idea I was human before they attacked, but now that they've made me bleed, they know about it, as well as seen me weaken." He gets closer to the twins to deepen his point. "It is my understanding that you both know what it's like to be weak, seeing as your human. Feeling inferior to others, being seen as the smallest and the most inferior." Both twins give a look at each other, having flash backs of the orphanage. Everyday was a constant reminder of how weak they really were. "That is simply something I cannot have for me. If we're going to function together as a team, then we need to enforce fear onto our enemies."

"Our enemies?" Dipper raised an eyebrow, wondering why he would still imply that they were a team.

"Yes. As much as I loathe myself for saying this, I, I, I thank, you, for helping me in my volatile state." He gritted his teeth with every word he spewed out, clearly not enjoying those three words.

"Did you just thank me/him?" Both twins said at the same time with their jaws slightly hanging off their heads.

"Yes, I, thank, you." He forced himself to say once more, his teeth practically cracking under all the pressure. "I'm a diamond. That doesn't me I'm dense. I can acknowledge someone I hate occasionally. If I didn't, then would have no need to keep my father prisoner on this ship."

"You have what?" The twins asked again. This day was not at all how they pictured it would go.

"Back to the matter at hand..." The Diamond shook off their continued questioning and went back to his original point, snapping his fingers and signaling Peridot to come to him. "I, I have a plan to make sure that those rejects don't interfere with me again, but if I'm going to make this plan work, I need to approach it in a more, subtle manner."

"So you need the master of subtly to assist you?" Dipper smirked, loving how much the brat was dreading this very moment.

"Don't flatter yourself. Just find yourself grateful that my plan requires me to reinforce fear rather than power." The Diamond quickly answered, making it clear that he was doing whatever he could to make it sound like he wasn't complementing him. "Can you still do that instant relocation spell."

"Yeah, I can. But I'm afraid without most of my reserves drained, it won't be a useful as I wish it to be." Dipper admitted, only for his eyes to widen once Steven held out his hand, and in it was the very amulet he made himself. Dipper, surprised and skeptic at the same time, slowly reached out for it. "Why give this to me now?"

"Because you said that you needed more power, so this should provide you with more than enough." Dipper still looked at him with suspicion, not believing that the little brat would be so willing to just give him something that he could use to kill him. "You had your chance to end me when I was unconscious. You held back, so in, appreciation, for your deed, I extend that trust back to you." He said in a very even tone that hid obvious anger. "Do you the thing or not?"

Dipper of course was still suspicious, though a quick elbow to his side was there to make him think about it. "It's not like he's going to be this nice to you again, dear brother." Mabel insisted. "Best to take advantage of it while it lasts." Dipper, with a reluctant sighed, snatches it away from the Diamond's hand before he could change his mind.

"Glad you've at least have some sense in that brain of yours, for in an hour's time, we strike back at them." He chuckles as he clenches his first. "We trace them back to their location, and then, we show them hell."

* * *

It was all so confusing. The type of confusing were the world felt like it was spinning out of control on hyper-speed, and you felt the effects of the dizziness and vertigo even hours after the spinning stopped. It was the type f confusing where nothing said or seen was right, nothing about it made sense, no matter the amount of analyzing and rationalizing, nothing about it made sense.

"The, the, the Di, Dia ,the, Diamond, bled. The, the Diamond bled." Pearl stated over and over again, hoping that she would finally understand it, but repeating it seemed to confirm how insanely impossible it sounded. "That, that, that, that.."

"It's impossible. It shouldn't be possible at all." Garnet finished for her in her same neutral tone, though her face showed that she was shaken by what she had witnessed as well. "No gem should've been able, to, to do that."

"Isn't it possible that she's just shapeshifting?" Connie threw out their, hoping to ease the pressure off of what she had just done. Was this all for nothing? Did she go through all that training just to end up getting the wrong person?"

"No. Our abilities are no where near that good. We can only hold our form for so long, and I doubt that she'd be able to manipulate the light of her stone that well." Garnet replied. "It shouldn't, she, she not, AHHHHHH!" She punched the wall in frustration. "It doesn't make sense!"

"Neither did the way she talked." Pearl answered once she found herself unable to stammer any longer.

"If we can even call it a she anymore, whoever it is." Connie chipped in. "I know you guys only appear to be like woman, but that Diamond had no trace of femininity, and the voice didn't sound right either."

"And there was the way the Diamond spoke. It, it said the it had a mother, and that, and that it was the Diamond's son." Pearl added, reminding everyone of his last words before they were whisked away. The words of them little Diamond were repeated through their heads. The hatred that was spewed along with it.

"So if he's human, than, than what do we do?" Connie asked, and once again, the Gems found themselves struggling to find the right answers. "We, we can't just ignore this. Human or not, he's still a Diamond, and that still makes him a danger to everyone." Her usual scowl began to form again as she stood up tall.

"She's right. Human or not, that Diamond needs to be dealt with. We need to know of his intentions for earth." Pearl agreed, gripping on her spear.

"Than lets stop the fighting and lets get to talking." A young voice came in from the entrance of the temple. At the entrance was the little Diamond, smirking, as if the sight before him was something to laugh at. "We've tried the fighting and the killing already, lets just skip to the pleasantries. It'll save you the trouble."

Of course, all three residents of the temple approached the boy, alert and ready for anything. They had proven earlier that the Diamond was indeed capable of being vulnerable, but one couldn't be to sure about any other surprises. If a Diamond can be human, than anything was possible. "No need to be cautious. I've bare no weapons to use against you. I'm merely a visitor here to state my business." He raises his hand in confirmation.

This was probably the weirdest thing that they've done, and in a town like this, that was saying a lot. A diamond was actually trying to make peace, while also being half human. Very, very weird.

"Who are you?" Garnet asked rudely, not feeling comfortable with the calm tone the Diamond was setting. It was, eerie, to say the least.

"Ah, I thought I forgot to mention that as I was trying to kill you all. I forgotten all about my manners." He joked in a scarily casual tone that sent chills down Pearl's spine. "Steven Diamond Universe." He held out his hand, though no one dared to touch him. "I get it, don't trust the one that has every right to annihilate you for your many crimes against the universe."

"What right do you of all people have to.." Connie began to shout, though Pearl held her back, signaling her to not continue.

"tec,tek, it's as I always say, treat your animals with a little respect, and they begin to think they're above you. At least your Pearl is better trained." He mocked as the white Gem sent flaming daggers at him. "And I am assuming that you are the owner here." Steven stared back at Garnet. "Being the biggest and at least being made up of one half of actual elite would entitle you to the role of leader, though it must be really hard to get up every morning, always having a practically brain dead grunt dragging you down, infecting you with it's stupidity as you..."

"Get to the point. Why are you here?" The permafusion demanded, doing whatever she could to not set him on fire right then and there.

"Ah yes. My master plan." The Diamond stood proudly. "My end goal. My motivation for even breathing. Everything that drives me to be who I am." He pauses and allows an awkward silence to fill the air. "What, you think that I'm actually going to tell you? If you have to ask, then you'll never know."

"Then why are you even here?!" Pearl exclaimed, having enough of the little brat's insults. "Your here to do something. Why even come here at all if you didn't feel threaten by us?"

The diamond stood there for another moment in silence. "Heheehu." He let out a chuckle. "Hehehehehahu." The laugh got louder. "Hehahaahhaaa." It officially left the point of creepy and into the relam of insanely scary. "You, you think, you think that I'm sacred of you?" The area around them begins to darken as the shadows around him got larger, and a little more humanoid in shape. "You think that I'm dumb enough to try to hide my fears by going in alone to the base of who I must despise? Two problems with that theory." The shadows around him pop up and become more 3 dimensional in shape. "I'm not scared of you. And.." The twins form from the shaodws, poping up a fighting stance as they prepared to pounce. "I'm not alone."

"Why are you working with him?!" Connie was the first to find her voice. "He doesn't care for humans, or this planet!"

"Then it looks like we have a lot in common then!" Mabel smiled wicked as she launched herself at the dark skinned, using all the power she had to pin her down. But in a moment, she let go of her grip just for a tiny bit to ask Connie something. "Do you think that he's noticing me? I mean, girl to girl, do you think this is impressive enough for him?"

Connie responds to her with a knee to the stomach, making her drop her grip. "No. And gross." She lifted her self up and prepared to attack the Diamond once more.

"I have to say, talking on for that long was pretty good. A simple trick, but quite effective." Dipper said as he used the powers of his new found amulet to simply float and dodge all of Pearl's swings. Dipper merely held a flick of a finger and tossed her twelve feet away, into the rocky bed of the wall. "And this thing works just as well as the original. It's practically the same one."

"Well the resources are limited, but there was enough of a soil sample around the area.." Steven dodges every blow of Garnet's gauntlets as he jumps to her height and kicks her right in the face, making her land flat on her back. "to synthesize enough of the amulets paranormal anomalies." He explains as he turns to Dipper. "The shadow entrance was a nice touch. Really didn't know where you were going to pop up."

"Umberkenesis. Manipulation of the extraction of light. It's way more effective than it sounds. Perfect for blending in naturally." He said with a slight smile, something that also felt really weird. The two of them were actually able to talk to each other without an insult thrown in or an attempt to kill each other. It was strange, but a little, well, it was better than how they've been before hand. "It's a shame these guys don't put up much of a fight though. They're pathetic."

"Of course they are." Mabel chimed in, now twirling Pearl over her head like a ragdoll. "It was out of pure luck and timing that they got as far as they did last time. Now that we're all at our full power..." Her hands stop glowing as Pearl was immediately dropped with a thud. "...they have nothing on us. Or you, my all mighty and all-so-cute Diamond." She flirted as she leaned on his shoulder once more.

The Diamond would've tried to flick her off him when he decided to get a lookof there surrondings. Their enemy was defeated, yet there were only two gems around. "Wait, where's the human.."

"Over here." The girl exclaimed as she shoved the Diamond on the ground, and sliced of the strings of the twins's amulets before they had the chance to used them again. "I've waited for years to get this chance, and I'm not about to let it go again. You will fall. By my sword I smite you!" She yelled as she bought down the pink blade on him, only to found herself stabbing at rocks.

"You don't get it, do you?" The Diamond appeared behind her, and slapped her across the face once she turned around. "This is not some sort of heroic quest where you just beat the bad guy and everything goes all hunky dory for you." Connie continued to swing at him, though the Diamond seemed to be one step ahead of him. "Your form, your attacks, it clearly shows who trained you." The Diamond grabs her arm when she goes in for another swing. "It has some changes to it, but I can recognize a Pearl's dance moves anywhere. So orderly, so precise," he proceeds to bend her arm a little." And oh so predictable." He changes his position once he hears the moans of the Gems waking up. He grabs her by the sword and holds it to her neck, closely.

"Let, let, let her go!" Pearl shouted franticly. "She's, she's human! She has nothing of value to you! "

"Of course she does, she's insurance." He smiled wickedly as he presses the blade up to her skin's neck once more. Connie felt tears falling down her eyes." You Crystal Gems always did have a habit of bringing these humans into your problems. Always fighting in your wars, always dying for something that you believe in. You just can't help but bring death wherever you go."

"What do you want?!" Garnet yelled, trying to get closer, though the Diamond's gaze stopped her.

"If that future vison of your is still as good as it was, than you can probably see every possibility in how I kill her." The two Gems laid down their weapons. "What I want is understanding from you two." They both look up at him. "I am not scared of you, of your weapons, or your capabilities. My plan has suffered no dely. And if I were to die, than nothing about my plan would change. I am in control here, and you, your nothing. So, you listen closely: I expect you all to stay out of our way." He signals to Mabel and Dipper to come towards him. "You will never win, you never even had the chance to win at all. Any, and I mean any interference form you three at all, and I will rain blood through the streets of this town, starting with this one right here." He grabs ahold of her right hand, and bends it the wrong way, forcing Connie to cry as she felt a big 'snap'.

"I rest my case." He shoves Connie into Pearls direction, allowing Pearl to comfort the girl in pain. Before either of the Gems could confront him, the trio was gone.

Connie's moans were the only thing that filled the air as Pearl tried to do whatever she could to comfort her. She sighed, all she saw in Connie was a weapon, a tool, a sword to shatter the one who took everything from her. She didn't, she couldn't just say it was okay, she couldn't just say try again. How could they even say that after what just happened. "I , I failed." Connie spoke as she continued to cry on Pearl, who held her to attempt to make her feel better. "I, I failed you, I, I, I, .." She couldn't finish that sentence as more sobs filled the air.

"No. I" Pearl started, knowing exactly what to say. "I failed you. I failed your parents, my, my Rose, I" She looked up at Garnet, who could only send her sad looks of dejection and pity. "I failed everyone."

* * *

"Amazing!" An elated Mabel shouted repeatedly as she held both her brother and the Diamond close once they got back to the ship. Was that uncomfortable for the two boys? Definitely, but they nonetheless decided against fighting it as she was using the amulet to hold them closer. "You were amazing, and you were amazing, and I was amazing, and we were all amazing! Didn't I tell you that this would work?! Didn't I, Didn't I?! Didn't I?!"

"Yes, dear sister, this, team, of ours was without a doubt, a good idea." Dipper rolled his eyes in compliance, knowing it was better just to accept his sisters happiness rather than to argue with her again. At least he had comfort in knowing that she most likely had decided to forget about being miffed at him if the hug was anything to go on.

"But you were the most amazing, my dear Diamond." Mabel came up close to Steven once she stopped using her powers. "You were great with your cute little threats and so hot with your.." She began to get uncomfortably close, even to the point where the Diamond couldn't shrug it off.

"Yes, and you used your abilities marvelously." The Diamond complemented as he slowly began to shove her away from him. "Why don't you go out and celebrate this little victory of ours."

"Yeah, yeah, I should!" Mabel said as she floated in the air. "We should party to our hearts content! I'll be back with the snacks!" She flew off, leaving only the two boy in the room.

"You know how to manipulate people well, don't you?" Dipper inquired with a small smile.

"Yeah, back on homeworld, I was forced to listen to court sessions for days on end. It was a bore, but it gives one access to observe how people think, what they say to please people or rile them up." He reminisced.

"So you went with the more psychological attack on them, didn't you?" Dipper inquired again, having a feeling that he could pretty much get the Diamond to answer everything that he asked. The Diamond was in a weirdly good mood, and as his sister insisted, it was best to take advantage of this opportunity while it lasted.

"Yes, they're already broken, something that my mother had a hand in doing. What I did was reinforce the futility of it all. Any motivation they had to end the reign of Yellow Diamond is now dead. And trust me, we need everything we had if we're to unlock the power together." The Diamond held out his hand, expecting Dipper to do the same.

And in truth, Dipper was actually considering it. They had fought well together, they both were smart and strategic, they both carried a sense of brutality, and both had a knack in manipulating people. But, but it was all too well. This couldn't be how things would be for now on. So, the boy refrained from shaking his hand. "

"We worked well together, I see that. Our plan has a much better chance of succeeding if we allow this alliance to continue. That I cannot deny at all." His body began to glow blue. "But I refuse to trust you. I don't like how you've gotten my sister to fall under your compliance, but I will not do the same." His gaze slowly turned more threatening "I helped saved your life when my sister or that lab rat of yours couldn't do anything to help you, so you owe me. I don't trust you to lead us. So know that I will be taking charge here, and there's nothing you can do about it." His hand became engulfed in flames. "Nothing at all."

Again, to his surprise, the Diamond took this better than he thought he would. He simply nodded. "I see. I suppose I can't blame you for the enmity between us. I guess this is how things have to be between us if we are to move forward. But, allow me to say one final thing before we plan for the future." The Diamond unnatural smile was plastered across his face, giving chills to the show boy.

"Yes, what is it?" Dipper asked, almost a little scared by his tone.

"Stonemason." He immediately answered with a snapped of his fingers. Soon, Dipper's vison of the world around him began to blur as his amulet incased him in some sort of yellow energy. His arms lost all control as he felt forced to stand as still as a statue. It was a horrible feeling. Nothing the Dipper said or did was able to break him out of whatever it was that he was under.

"Wh-what, what did you do to me?!" He screamed, barely able to shout out those words with his mouth.

"I'm surprised that someone as smart as you actually believed I would give you the choice." He smiled wickedly. "As I told your sister, I would've never given you power, if I couldn't use it for myself. Granted, I don't need the amulets power personally, but then I met you two. Perfectly able to wield great power, and both know exactly how to use it. Your sister was all for me leading us, but you've proven yourself to be quite the stubborn little runt. So when concepting your amulet, I downloaded an old family secret: Mental conditioning. It's not the complete version, sadly that was lost through time, but it'll do. You still have your free will, but they hold no more barring over your actions."

Dipper continued to struggle, but nothing was able to get him out of, whatever it was that he was under. He was stuck, forced to listen to the Diamond's ramblings. "I am in control here. I fear nothing, not death, not the Crystal Gems, and certainly, not you." He punches Dipper across the jaw, and the boy was helpless to do anything. "Whatever I don't control, I destroy. Count yourself fortunate that you're the former. Now, kneel." Dipper fought with every muscle in his body, everything in his body was telling him to comply, but his mind was telling him to disobey, which actually began to put a strain on Dipper that he couldn't even begin to describe. The Diamond pressed two fingers against Dippers head, and sent him volts of electricity, making Dipper scream in agony. "I said, kneel."

This time, Dipper had no strength to try to refuse. Slowly, he got on one knee, and lowered his head before the yellow tyrant. "Who is you're master?"

"Yo-u, you a-re." He reluctantly answered.

"Who will you follow?"

"You, you, my, my Diamond." He sputtered.

"Good. Make sure you remember that the next time you think about underestimating me. We wouldn't want unfortunate accidents to befall you or your sister now, do we?"

"No."

"Good." With another snap of the fingers, the yellow light was gone and so was the strain on Dipper. He launched himself at the Diamond, but stopped once he saw the Diamond prepare to snap his fingers again.

"I'm back!" Mabel came in suddenly with a bunch of bags full of food and confetti. "Lets get this party started." She brings out a bright red liquid out from one of the bags as she used her magic to pour it all in three cups, to which she floated two of them to Dipper and Steven. "Anything happen while I was gone?" She said, sensing something awkward once more between the two rivals.

Dipper open his mouth to speak, eyeing the Diamond the entire time. "Nothing." He spat out defeated, knowing that he couldn't say a damn thing about this. "Nothing at all."

"I couldn't agree more." The Diamond smiled. "Let us toast to today. Let us toast for our victory, and let us toast to our future. May it keep shining brightly for us." Mabel did so with a glee, while Dipper forced a smile on his face as he joined in.

Oh how the future look so dark. So very dark indeed.

* * *

 _Next time: Copies and Clones (because this is my story, and the timeline goes however I want it to go.) :)_

 _Dipper tries to up the anti in order to balance the scales of power to his favor, but it might prove to be more difficult than he imagined it to be, while Mabel prepares to dance with her beloved._


	11. Dual of Duplicates pt1

**Hello everyone, I really, really wanted to get this one out mostly because Minjen's copies and Clones is one of my favorite chapters(my all time favorite chapter is together forever, just wait until I get to THAT version.), and because this chapter is the begging of one of my original story arcs that I'll be imputing into the story in the long run(expect it to pay off sometime after my arc two end). I had a lot of fun writing this one, but I'm a little drained, so I'll be spending a little more time with my other fics.**

 **Please read and review.(I don't really like asking, but I really want to know your guys thoughts, what I need to improve on and such, just no flames please!)**

 **I own nothing.**

* * *

"Marvelous isn't it." The young Diamond announced as he showed off the sight to the twins. Right before them was a grand, glass dome filled with rows and rows of various hourglasses. Some of them floating, some of them in various shapes that weren't even practical at all for an hourglass, but there was no denying that they were hourglasses. The entire room glowed with a bright sea green due to the transparency of the glass. Tons of sea life passed by, but the three kids currently occupying the room were hardly one to take in the scenery. "Homeworld truly knew how to mask their objects of power. Practically no one would be able to find it." He smiled as a device that projected a bright green screen in front of him. "If I didn't know what to look for, that is."

"It's a beautiful sight." Mabel swooned as she floated above them, circling the little tyrant. "Of course, it could only have come from a greater species than mine, and who better to show us than the perfect representation of such a people." She fawned over, only succeeding to add to the Diamond's smug expression. "Brother, what do you say?" Mabel turned to Dipper, who, of course, had the least interested face on him as he merely looked to the side.

"Yeah, greatness, and what not." He murmured with great disinterest, which seemed to be enough of an answer for his sister, who immediately went back to worshiping the object of her desire. Placing his hand on the amulet, he sighed. Oh, it would be too easy right now to just use his magic to send the brat through the class and let the pressure of the ocean's depths finish him off. But he couldn't, as he recalled what the Diamond had told him.

* * *

 _"The Stonemason protocol works in three stages." Steven explained with a dastardly glee. "First is what you had just felt, forced compliance. In the beta stage, your body becomes a blank slate, the program overriding your conscious and subconscious control over your body. Stage 2: Unwillfull action. By the very sound of my voice, you body will obey my every command, not matter how much you desire it not to happen, it will be done."_

 _"What's to stop me from just taking it off?" Dipper challenged, hoping for the slightest chance that the Diamond had overlooked that little detail."_

 _"Oh, nothing at all, your free to free yourself from this power anytime you want." Somehow, this didn't reassure Dipper in the slightest. "But I guess I'm inclined to mention stage three. The very second that you try to rid yourself of it, it'll set off an implosion upon itself, essentially the equivalent of an small black hole. It won't kill you by any means, but it'll most likely crumble your bones to dust and squeeze your organs into juice. You wouldn't ever fully recover from it, but on the bright side.." He stroked his chin for a moment to come up with something, actually showing how much of a struggle he had with coming up with an answer. "...you'll, exist." He shrugged. "It wouldn't be much of an existence, but you'll still have one."_

* * *

"You know.." Mabel suddenly interrupted Dipper's train of thought, forcing him to stop his flashbacking. "This could be an amazing spot to have that party later on." The showgirl inquired as she leaned on her brother. "I can just waltz right into the Mystery Shack and teleport everyone here. That'll so that Gleeful a thing or two, right brother?"

Dipper tried his best to avoid answering. Bud Gleeful at, at least once a year, hosted a big party for all the adolescent and teens of Gravity Falls. It was always a smash hit with the kids, despite how rickety the old shack always proved to be. When the twins focused more on traveling shows a few years back, they always managed to stop in Gravity Falls in time for it. Mabel of course always barged right in and pretty much spent the entire night there making everyone else feel like crap as she 'stole' the show, as she actually always ends up stealing the sound system and most of the food by the time she gets bored and leaves, though with the news of a 'party crown' to be awarded at this year's party, Mabel was more than eager to attend, if to only get the crown and show the Diamond how much of a 'queen' she was.

Dipper, of course, never bothered to come with her, finding it hard just to tolerate one person at a time. But, giving as how Steven was making another step into becoming that more powerful, the boy felt inclined to try and forget that sad and painful reality for at least one night. "I'm sure keeping the party in one place for tonight would be more than enough. You already put Gleeful in a jam just by being there, despite how big his smile might be."

Mabel smiled, thinking that she was finally getting through to her introverted brother. "I knew you'd see it my way. What made you want to come this time anyway?" She asked, and Dipper was really, really tempted to just tell her then and there.

"I figured we could do something a little less strenuous, considering what a challenge the past few weeks have proven to be." Technically not a lie, he just left out the part about his life being completely controlled by the will of the giant banana baby. "Though I doubt the we'll ever be able to make it in time if this goes on for any longer." He gtunted towards the tyrant, who was still staring at his screen. "What is it now that we have to find for you? Another figurine to put aside your gem bugs, or whatever it we nearly died over the last time we got dragged into your antique shopping?"

"For your information, that 'antique shopping' was an absolute necessity for us, for without it, I wouldn't have procured the drive that the geodes provided, and without that drive, we wouldn't have the information I needed in order to find the next vital object of power." The Diamond said in a very matter of factly tone. "The hourglass of time was one of Homeworld's more, riskier endeavors. With it, one is said to manipulate the temporal field of the universe."

"Uh, and what's that suppose to mean, exactly?" Mabel turned her head, having absolutely no idea what the little Diamond had just said.

"Time Travel, dear sister." Dipper answered for her. "He's trying to say that one of this little trinkets enables temporal relocation." He said with a bit of disbelief. "Though I hardly believe that little grains of sand in little cases of solidified sand are able to accomplish such an feat. Real temporal relocation takes mathematics and years to even find the right energy output to even attempt to go one minute in the past."

"Well, I didn't ask for your output now, did I?" The Diamond rebutted. "Now where is that, oh, there it is." He smiled, grabbing onto the smallest hourglass in the entire room. It was hardly what either of the twins were expecting.

"Wow, I'm in awe." Dipper scoffed, though Mabel seemed to have the exact opposite reaction to it, as usual.

"Ah, it's adorable." She cooed in it's sight.

"As small and insignificant as it may be, it's power is quite the opposite." He began to explain. "Homeworld made it this way because it would be the last thing anyone would expect to find great power in."

"Speaking from experience, I presume." Dipper replied snidely. He was under control. He would get any lick in he could get.

"So I guess these things are only glorified decorations now, huh." Mabel mused over, picking up the nearest hourglass in her reach. "I have the perfect place for..." She began.

"Why would you bring us here, anyway? This seems to be a little to simple of a recovery trip, even for one of such great power." Dipper asked.

"Oh, because there was a slight chance that I've could've picked the wrong one, and there's a certain security system around here that would've.." The Diamond began to explain, though his voice was immediately drowned out by the sound of rushing water. Openings in the glass dome began to open, as the bluish green water began to spread everywhere. It filled up the floor immediately, showing no sign of slowing down. "That. That's what could've happened." He dryly stared at the showgirl, who could only shrug at her mistake. "Well, make yourselves useful and drain get the water out."

"Fine. Mabel, get your magic ready." Dipper ordered his sister, using his lives to scoop up giant globs of water. Massive heaps began to float in the air as he started to block the openings. The strain began to build up in Dipper's body, sweat flowed furiously from him, making the boy realize that he wasn't being assisted with at all. "Anytime, Mabel." He ordered again.

Mabel, once again found herself standing awkwardly in the room. "Heh, I, I was trying to tie that stone into a bow for the party tonight, so I, kinda left it at home." He sheepishly says as Dipper groans at his sister's idiocy.

"I can only hold this back alone for so long." Dipper continued to struggle. "Steven, get on the pad so we can teleport out of here."

"You know, in hindsight, it probably would've been better to just bring the Lazuli here. Oh well. I guess this is a fitting way to finally use this." He held up the small glass orb as he spoke in his usual disinterested tone, which was a little more strange given the situation of the moment. "I bid you fair well, and good drowning."

"What?!" Dipper explained. "You, you're just going to leave us here?"

"Of course he's not going to brother. We've proven our worth, he wouldn't be so foolish as to leave us all by our lonesome." Mabel defended, not accepting any sense of reality as she leaned on the little Diamond all the more. Steven removed her from his body and began to walk past her.

"It's actually somewhere between the two, Pine Girl." He raised up the amulet. "I could just use this to get us out of here, but I think it's better to use it to drive a point home. Think of it as payment for your little screw up." He mocked the girl, who felt hurt by those words. "Don't worry, by the time your bodies collapse from the immense pressure, I'll have done away with this entire reality."

"So this'll never happen, right? We won't die from this?" Mabel asked hopefully.

"I never said that. I just said that this reality would be done away with. Now, observe, and goodbye. This'll be the last time these versions of us will ever interact with each other." In a flash, the Diamond glowed, and he was gone, leaving the saddened show girl weeping in tears, and Dipper cursing as his arms finally gave out.

"Oh that son of a.."

* * *

 _a few moments before..._

"Well, I didn't ask for your output now, did I?" The Diamond rebutted, as a bright ball of light appeared in front of him. Right next to the Diamond, was another Diamond. He was exactly the same in height, close, and all around wickedness. Absolutely nothing set the other one apart. "Ah, I was wondering when you would come."

This set the twins into shock. Dipper's mouth couldn't even stay open, as nothing he could say could measure up to what he wanted to express, except for what he said next. "This, this, this is a nightmare. My life is a nightmare that keeps on getting worse, and worse the longer it goes on."

"Diamond, who's your incredibly good looking associate?" Mabel inquired, once again showing her utter disregard for personal space as she began to inspect the other Diamond as much as the original. _"It's like my someone starting making my dreams a reality."_ She thought. Double the Diamond, double her pleasure.

"It's the nature of the Hourglass of time." The other Diamond began to explain as he held it up in his own palm, showing off the little orb. Noticing the expressions on the twins, he opened his mouth as he pointed at Dipper. "Wow, I'm in awe." He spoke for him, before turning to Mabel. "Ah, it's adorable." He spoke again, making the twins more confused. "Time travel is a tricky thing, something that even homeworld can never dream of fully controlling or understanding. Then there's the whole issue of meeting yourself, potentially destroying the universe, and all the common side affects."

"Which I why before coming here..." The original Diamond continued. "I had devise a solution to simplify matters until I can fix the problem." He turns to the other Diamond. "I believe you know what you have to do?" He asked. The other Diamond just nods his head.

"Just make sure the Pine girl doesn't touch anything. She doesn't have her amulet, and that leads to the place flooding up." He closes the hand that held the hourglass, and began to squeeze it hard. "It was an honor being you for a time. I'm glad that I could've served you, my Diamond." With a loud 'crack', the hourglass he was holding was broken, and before they could question it, the other Diamond turned into blue dust, falling to the ground as lifeless matter.

"Okay, what, what the hell just happen?!" Mabel screamed. "Did, did we just see, you, yourself, him, kill himself?!" Mabel exclaimed. "Did you just tell, yourself to kill yourself?!"

"Oh please, there's no need to be so sentimental over it." The Diamond spoke with complete disregard for, well, himself. " He's a time remnant, a temporal duplicate, a mere alternate copy of myself. Once he changed the events of what would've transpire, his present became an alternate outcome, a moment of time that should no longer come to be."

"So his reality should be gone, which'll explain why he disappeared." Dipper summed up, only for the Diamond to slap him on the forehead with a light chuckle.

"I never said that. I only said that it shouldn't come to pass. Again, I don't fully know the consequences of using the hourglass, so I devised a system. If I am ever, ever to use it, I'll only use it to transport a few hours, and only use it to warn. And once I am done, I would crush the amulet, eliminating myself to avoid risk of making the timelines collide with one another." He sighed as he motioned the twins to come with him, grabbing on to his own hourglass as he walked towards the pad. "He knew that life would be better if someone, clean of the mistake he made, would be better suited to live on. He merely paved the way for the true Diamond to succeed. " He walks onto the pad without giving another thought on the subject. "Anytime now."

The two twins kept staring at the Diamond like he had just grown two heads. Mabel had chose the less complicated route and shut her mouth, though Dipper seemed to be a little insistent. "Wait, if he came alone, and if he came from a time where the dome flooded, doesn't that mean you left us to drown?"

"Don't read too much into it." He spoke in that annoyingly mocking tone that the show boy had gotten all too use to listening to. "Your not drowning, and as much as the image would please me, your not dead." Steven closed his eyes as he activated the warp. "So, as far as I'm concerned, that's the end of it. Nothing about it matters."

* * *

"Like hell that it doesn't matter!" Dipper exclaimed as he spoke to his sister as they began walking towards the mystery Shack. It was getting dark out and the duo had decided to head out, seeing as the Diamond had no more use for them at the time anymore. "He, it, it, I don't know what happened in that alternate future, but damn if I'm sure he had something to do with it." He groaned and moaned on and on. And of course, his sister was far from listening as she messed around with the green gem on her head, which was now all tied up in a black bow."

"He said it was an alternate, dear brother. As in, it's not going to be the end result." Mabel continued to defend on the behalf of the yellow tyrant. "If he truly wanted us dead, he wouldn't have went back for us. Surely there must be comfort in that."

"Not in the slightest." He muttered under his breath, knowing better than to just blurt out what was wrong. He really, really felt like he couldn't get a break here. His sister was too ignorant and love-struck to see the full picture, and he knew that the Diamond knew it. Whether or not Steven was actually aware of Mabel's romantic interest, it didn't matter as he knew he could get her to blindly follow him down a fiery pit if he so chose to do so. Hell, he was even willing to bet that Mabel wouldn't even freak out over the 'stonemason' protocol( he also had to ask her later whether or not she told the Diamond about his real name, it was just to close to it to be a coincidence.). If anything, she'd probably asked Steven to give her some sort of on switch to it.

It would be so much easier to figure out how it worked if he could just examine the amulet, but the brat's words echoed in his head. He couldn't risk the threat at all, as ridiculous as it sounded( he was an expect in both science and magic, but even he had a point where his suspension of belief was tested). He could hardly ever bring himself to touch it, actually fearing what might happen if he so much as moved his neck the wrong way. He found himself lying awake at night, eyes wide opened, fearing that the accursed trinket would strangle him in his sleep.

"Just try not to let _your_ paranoia ruin the evening too much, brother." Mabel said as they approached the wooden structure that was the mystery shack. "I have to show off everything that I have if I'm going to be at my best for when my Diamond comes." Her eyes once again form hearts as she practically swooned with every step she took.

"You seriously think that he's going to come here?" Dipper said, clearly being the only one out of the two with any common sense. "He being around us as it is, and you think he's going to willingly come to a party full of noisy, rambunctious, unruly kids?"

"Yes, because I'll be there. I'm his greatest asset, his most reliable ally. I personally made sure that he'll know when to come here."

* * *

Back at the Diamond's ship, the yellow tyrant found a bright blue card that had writing in some sort of sticky red substance, though the Diamond didn't bother to read what any of it said as he was way to focused on the picture that the show girl had so thoughtfully decided to add in. It was him, bowing on one knee as she wore a big white dress with some sort of veil on her head. The Diamond immediately shuddered as ignited the card with his electricity. "As if I'd ever bow to her."

* * *

"Isn't that going a little to fast? I'd think that'll scare him off if anything." _'If only.'_ He thought that last part.

"Hey, we're aiming to rule the world here. It's not like there'll be anymore time to do it. I'm just, speeding things along as they should." She shrugged of, still keeping her love smitten face on. "I can picture it now. Just as the dance is reaching it's climax, out from the distance..."

* * *

 _"...a grand, marvelous figure glows out from th_ _e north, riding along on the backs of giant lions." Mabel continued to daydream as she pictured an all too detailed version of a masculine, tall, Steven Diamond. He wore what appeared to be a tux version of his usually attire, who indeed, was standing atop a mount of lions, running in the distance as he held up his mighty trident high in the air._

 _"I must seek her. In all of the universe, I have never met such a creature a fearsomely amazing as her." Mabel imagined the Diamond saying. The daydream Diamond finally reached the shack, and with one mighty throw of his trident, he through it at the building as he completely destroyed the front half of the shack. Dazed and confused guest roamed were scattered all across the floor, some bloodied, but the Diamond simply didn't care as he made his way to the floor. "Where is she?" He said coolly._

 _"Right here." Mabel, taller and with a body that had a more defined shape, wearing a sparkling blue dress as she moved the various amounts of debris and people with her magic. She cast them all aside as she walked towards her Diamond very seductively. "Oh, my Diamond, why have you come here? Must you spend every moment for my pleasure?"_

 _"It pleases me to please you." The Diamond spoke to her. "I haven't never seen such a dazzinling beauty come from such a place of filth and waste. You, my darling, are my Diamond in the rough."_

 _"Oh Diamond. If I could make a moment in time last forever, it would be right now, with you, embracing me until the end of eternity." Mabel continued as she held her Diamond close, not letting her grip lose for even a second. "You are everything that I want in a soulmate. Strong, demanding, fashionable, and being able to knock around my brother." She said as her brother, now in a butler uniform, walked up to the Diamond with a small metal box._

 _"Be gone, flesh bag." The Diamond spoke uncaringly as he zapped the boy away. He then got on his knees as he held out Mabel's hand. "My Mabel, my blue beauty, may I ask you one thing, one thing to make me the happiest Diamond on the earth?" Mabel, too excited for words, just squeed with a happy nod. "That'll be five dollars, please." The Diamond spoke, though his voice seemed to be deeper, and it sounded like a he had an accent to it._

 _"What?!" Mabel questioned as her daydream began to fall apart._

* * *

"I said that'll be five dollars please." Bud spoke from behind the ticket booth with his cheery smile at hand. Mabel groaned as she realizes how much she had let her fantasies take over the entire walk over there. Her brother laughed at how distracted she was, and even more so by Bud's little interruption. Sighing, she took out her five bucks and threw it at the kindly business man, who only thanked her in response.

The inside of the mystery shack proved to be as it always ways, rickety and a potential safety hazard, though hardly anyone noticed as the bright lights, large assortments of foods, and the loud music proved to be enough a distraction from it. Kids of all shapes and sizes, from preteen to practically adult, danced and cheered their cares away. The only ones who weren't joining in on the fun, aside from the two show twins, was Gideon, who now wore a black zipper swarer with blue sleeves, but still wore the same pine tree hat, and he also held a sad expression on his face as he sat on the couch, perfectly content with moping the night away, and a chipper blonde in purple clothing with a lama on her shirt. "Come one, mopey, you're dad went through all the trouble of setting up this party. Heck, he volunteered to stay at the check in all night just so you could have some fun." She explained, trying to get her friend to move from his spot. "It's the least you could do for him."

"The least I can do?" He spoke with irritation growing in his voice. "Pacifica, in case you haven't noticed, my parents are divorced. Excuse me if I'm not exactly jumping at the opportunity to please my father." He bluntly spoke

"So I guess your mad at him for, that, huh." She replied with uneasiness. She had a great relationship with her parents. They pretty much lived in a van most of the time, but they were kind and thoughtful. They didn't really push the whole 'hippie' lifestyle on her that much, respecting her right to be what she wanted. She couldn't imagine being mad at them or them mad at each other. It just wasn't a possibility for her.

"Yes, no, I, I don't know." He spoke glumly. "Sorry for my sour attitude, but, it, it's still fresh for me, and it still doesn't make sense for me." He showed off the journel he had tucked away in his jacket. Aside from Connie, Pacifica was the only one who he showed the journal to. "I, I thought if I made some progress with those Gem ladies, then things would start to make sense again, but, but I'm still left stumped." He sighed for a moment in frustration. "Connie hasn't spoken to me since, and I still haven't even seen them yet." He slumped in the couch even further.

Pacifica, not wanting to see her friend in such a state, jumped on the couch, and sat on it upside down. "It's not all bad, you know. You did manage to save that Connie girl from those shadow things. And you did save me from those gnomes at the beginning of summer." She said, turning herself right side up. "You do sure know how to handle yourself in a tight spot, and you saved two people in it, including your future best friend, so bonus, right?"

"Heh, right, best friend." He smiled a little. That word was a little weird to him. Not to say he was a complete pariah at school or home, he just blended into the crowd a little too much. Nothing special, nothing bad, just, just nothing, he supposed. That what he was to most people. Nothing.

"Awkward friendship hug?" Pacifica opened her arms, expecting Gideon to join in on it. Sadly though, Gideon got up from his seat and began to walk off.

"Maybe later. I, I have to do, something first. Enjoy the party." He finshed, walking away and disappearing into the crowd of kids, leaving Pacifica with a slight frown. She then tried to put that thought away as she looked at around at the party. It was just her scene, lively, energetic, and full people to meet and party with. She scowered the room, finally spotting a familiar face that she thought she would never see again.

"Why do you bother with this crowd anyway, dear sister?" Dipper groaned on. "Aren't you the one that's always trying to present yourself as higher above the weak and stupid?"

"And aren't you the one saying that we should never listen to what I say?" She countered, with Dipper groaning even more. "How about you think of this as more of a 'cover' if you will. No one would ever suspect two kids trying to gain ultimate power if said kids are out there, living it up in one of Gravity fall's biggest events. And you can always use the time to find ways to sabotage Gleeful's business."

"I think he's doing a better job at that than I ever could." Dipper said, noticing the various cracks in the wooden floor of the shack. One kid ended up diving off the stage and smashing through the floor, only for everyone, including the one who crashed, to keep on dancing.

"Hey jail bud, how ya doing." Pacifica came up from right behind him, jumping onto his back as he fell forward on his face. "You're not that strong, are you? Good to know that time in the big house didn't change you in least."

"Aggh, not you again." Dipper groaned even more, now convinced more than ever know that his life was just a living nightmare that refused to end. "Don't you have to pick flowers or sing peace somewhere?"

"Ehh, that stuff isn't really for me. I'm more of a wandering party spirit that'll never slow down." She answered, loking up at her sister, who was staring awkwardly. "Hey, I'm Pacifica, what's your name?"

"Mabel Pines, niece of sorcerer Stanford, greates showman and Magician of the Earth." She answered quickly and snidely, though Pacifica seemed completely unfazed by her rude tone.

"Wow, that's quite the long name. Hope people aren't too tired out by the end of the birthday song." She gleefully replied. "I'm here to win the Party Crown. I think I have a real shot at winning it. No one is more full of partyness than me!"

"We shall see. We shall see." Mabel gave her a death glare, though once again, it proved to be completely ineffective on the blonde.

"Well, I hope that means you'll enter the competition to. It'll be fun, two party girls, showing everyone how to really get down, whoa!" She exclaimed randomly, jumping out of the show boy she landed on. "Good luck!"

Mabel was left with an open mouth, not sure what to think about the blonde's outburst and introduction. "I don't know what it is about that, but I already hate her." Mabel clenched.

"Trust me, dear sister, you haven't even been on the receiving end of her annoyance. Not yet, at least." Dipper chimed in, groaning as he tired to shake off the soreness from Pacifica's little hello. Mabel expression still stayed the same as she pulled out a piece of colorful paper and shoved it into Dipper's hands.

"I'm going to mingle around. You do me a favor and make some copies of my party crown campaign." On the piece of paper was a again, a rather detailed picture of Mabel on a throne with a unrealistically larger crown on her head. "I need to spread the word everywhere if I'm to have a sure fire win." Dipper began to open his mouth in protest. "Were you really going to try to have some fun tonight, or were you just going to sneak out to continue plotting?" Dipper closed his mouth. "That's what I thought. Go down the hall, and their should be a copy machine for you to use." She turned away before her brother could ask another question. "And just an fyi, I know this because I got bored one day and snuck in here to steal snacks from the vending machine. And yes, I used magic to get it."

* * *

"Stupid Mabel, stupid party, stupid Diamond, stupid life." Dipper kept repeating over and over. On his way over to his destination, he ended up trip on the floor, kept getting elbowed in the stomach by a bunch of party goers, and just now some idiot with white hair ended up spilling a big cup of punch all over him.

"I'm, I'm, I'm sorry, I, I, I didn't mean..." He stammered to apologize, though Dipper hardly heard what he said as he kept on walking, hoping to avoid being made a bigger ass of himself.

"I, I hate this. I hate everything. I hate everyone." He murmured as he came up a room that was somehow even older and more hazardous than the rest of the shack. And as such, the large copy machine proved to be a reflection of it as it was barely held together by duck tape and glue. Dipper scoffed as he placed the paper in the scanner. "Okay, you sorry piece of work, just give me a break today." He closed the scanner as his face became more serious. "Just work as you should so I can go to bed today without hating myself." He presses the copy button, and the machine proceeds to produce smoke.

"Of course. Of course. Because I work hard to get where I am, because I'm the only one who takes anything seriously, I'm the one who gets crapped on. Because the world has to be fair to all those who don't." He grunts more and more as he kneels down to take a look. Using his magic, he unscrews some of the bolt in order to get a better look on the inside of the machine. "Okay, what's with you?" He asked himself, only to be blinded by an immediate outburst of smoke and a blinding flash of light, sending the kid tumbling backwards.

"That's it!" He screamed, lighting his fist on fire. "I am done with today, with this entire summer! I, I , I got to punch something!" He shouted, aiming to destroy the copier. To his sudden surprise, the machine began to light up as normal, seemingly functioning properly at the moment.

"Okay, okay. You have your dignity, you have your patience, don't go out of control. Just, just be calm." He breathed calmly, dimming the fire he had lit. "Just take this all in like a normal person."

As he was calming down, the machine, instead of the many copies of paper that he had expected to come out, a single, large piece of paper came out. On it, was a complete picture copy of himself. Except for a slightly greyish tone all over his body, the picture was perfect in every way, same hairstyle, same cape, even the same birthmark that was slightly hidden by his hair. "Hm, not a bad likeness." The boy mused over. This was certainly an unexpected surprise for him.

But of course, things were not at all that they appeared to be. As Dipper was set to put the picture down, the arm of it slowly pop itself out of it. Very carefully, it moved itself, grabbing onto Dippers arm, who immediately let out a yelp before throwing it aside. Lighting up his hands, again, he prepared to fight whatever it was that was going to come out.

Like ripping through plastic, the arm freed itself from its flat prison, as it used the hard, solid ground to gain more leverage. Pulling itself as it's strength grew, soon the arm was able to pull up the head of the picture. The head said nothing as it took deep and heavy breathes for the very first time in its short existence. "Hugh, ugh." It moaned, not being able to say anything else as it managed to gain the strength and energy to pull up its other arm. Now with both arms, the copy was able to pull it's entire body out the paper, the 2d image finally becoming a 3 dimensional person.

Dipper, understandably surprised, came up to his copy, who held the same irritated image as he usually found himself carrying. "Am I really that short?" He said out loud.

"Really?" The copy deadpans at his originator's response. "That's your big take away to all of this? You just saw the birth of a complete replication of yourself, and the first thing you decided to think about is to complain about the height?"

"Hey, it's not like stuff like this isn't common to me." Dipper defended. "So I suppose that your me, most likely a result of that copy machine, which seems to have some sort of semi-organic production function on living beings."

"I was thinking the exact same thing. And since I'm you, I suppose that you want proof of how much of a copy I am of you?" Dipper nods. "I guess it would be wise to say our first name, but we find it to ridiculous to say out loud that you prefer if it's never mentioned again to anyone at anytime. Then I guess that I would name off our family like Mabel, Stanford, and Stanley, and how our parents died in an accident years ago." The copy stated. "Am I missing anything else?"

"No, I suppose to question you further would be a pointless effort." Dipper slightly smiled, though it slightly falters once another thought enters his head. "Your not going to try and kill me out of a jealous rage, are you? I mean, your me, and you would know everyway to take myself down and assume my place."

"Dipper, your you. Nothing could ever replace you, not even yourself." The copy returned a kind smile. "I know better than to just resort to violent extremes over such a trivial matter. Besides, I'm partially made from paper. I think you more than suited enough to take on such a threat."

"Finally, someone that speaks my language." He elates. "I can't tell how much of a relief it is to finally talk to someone that can understand me."

"I completely understand. Being surrounded by people that either patronize you, ignore you, or threaten to kill you, one can go mad if they don't have an outlet to pour onto."

"So true, so true indeed." Dipper agreed once more. "If only this day went a little better, than I could be a little more excited about this."

"I know, your constantly worrying about Diamond using the amulet against you." the copy Dipper sympathized. "I can't say I've felt what it's like, but I have your memories, so I know exactly what your going through." He stretches out his hand at a few pieces of trash that was thrown to the side. "You have all the power in the world, yet your powerless to completely use it to your will." Nothing happens to the trash, or the copy for that matter. "Huh." He states a little disappointedly at his hand." I guess that means it can't copy the properties of magical artifacts all that well."

"A shame. Now we can't overpower Steven by any means." Dipper sighed. "It could've been great. He would've been overpowered by out combined might. I guess that'll never be possible as long as you don't have a..." Both Dipper's eyes widen an answer at the same time. "..proper amulet!"

"Of course, how could have I missed it!" The copy exclaimed, slapping his head with both shock and excitement. "If my amulet doesn't carry any of it's mystical properties..."

"Than the Stonemason protocol wouldn't be installed either, or at least, shouldn't work without the magic inside it!" Dipper finished eagerly for his duplicate. "Thank you, thank you..." Dipper paused again. "What should I call you? It'll get confusing if we're both called Dipper."

"Not to worry." He takes off his cape and casts it to the side. "I think this'll be the only time we'll be able to use the name we wish that we were given." He raised an eyebrow in confirmation.

"Works well enough for me, Tyrone." Dipper explained to the newly dubbed Tyrone. "Now, lets show that Diamond what happens when you push a Pines one too many times." He smirked.

"Wait, we're not going in right now without a actual plan, right?" Tyrone questioned.

"Oh, of course not!" Dipper said, pulling out a long list of paper he was carrying with him. "I have a rough sketch of a plan, but I think the two of us can pull together something a little more concrete."

"Good." Tyrone replied, pulling out an identical piece of paper of his own. "I was starting to think that I was carrying around this thing for nothing."

* * *

The Diamond for the last few hours sat alone in his own ship. Earlier, he had sent out all three of his serving Gems out on a recovery mission. It could've worked with just one of them going, but the Diamond felt it best that he worked in solitude tonight. The last thing he needed at the moment was an overeager Peridot screwing up the entire thing. "Just too many variables to consider." He spoke to himself, knowing how crucial this experiment could really be.

And today of all days was really the best time to do it. He had no more use for the Pines siblings, so they wouldn't even try to bother him for the rest of the day, thus, he had everything he needed to. "Just think, such power in my hands. Homeworld may even have to stop the production of any sapphires. To actually control the future instead of just knowing it, now that, that is the sign of true power." He smirked. There may have been doubters back on homeworld, but he rose above that. He'd show everyone, that he was just as much a Diamond as the original.

"Just you wait mother. I'll live up to your name. I'll bring greatness to homeworld just as you did." He smirked, continuing his analyzes of the little glass orb, when the alarm to the ship went off once more, making the Diamond sigh in irritation. "I'm not even going to act surprised." He got up and walked towards the entrance. He'd figured it was the showgirl again, most like this had something to do with the piece of paper that she left for him earlier. "She's a tool. A useful tool, but a tool nonetheless." He groaned even more as the bangs of the ship rose even louder.

"Huh, I thought the defenses would've been triggered by now. She should be paste." He said out loud to himself. Oh well, it probably would be better to cast her out personally anyways. Maybe then should would finally get the message.

"Alright, Pine Girl, just what is it that you want at..." Steven stopped himself, a little surprised at what he saw. Instead of Mabel with her usual obsessive smile and lustful eyes, in her place was the sight of Dipper. He didn't have his cape on, and he looked little darker than before, but the Diamond figured that may have been due to the shade of the night. "Fleshbag?" He asked. "What are you doing here?"

For once, at least in little time the Diamond had known Dipper, he did not cringe at the nickname he had chose for him. Instead, a small smile was plastered on his face. "Ah, you know, I figured I'd find all the less impressive right now. I'd thought, for some odd reason, that you'd actually live up to you threats, but staring at you know, all I can see is the sad, pathetic, lowlife of a brat that I've always see."

"And you've proven yourself to be an even bigger idiot at nightfall than during the day." He snaps his fingers with a smug smile. "Stonemason." He stood triumphantly, feeling that the human would once again feel the superiority of his rule.

The showboy yawned. "It truly is a shame. You can't even get people to follow your commands. I mean, sure, you've got your lackeys and my sister, but they only follow you because your just sooo adorable." He pinched his face as he talked in a more sarcastic, childish tone. "The little Banana Baby. Watch out for him, he sparkles when he's mad."

"Stonemason." The Diamond snaps again, expecting it to happen. Once again, the Diamond found himself shocked that his amulet was not working. "Stonemason." He say one more time. "How." He grabs the boy by the collar. "How did you beat my programing? How, it, it shouldn't be possible."

"Oh, I guess that means you aren't as smart as you think." Dipper blunt put s it, freeing himself from Steven's grip. "You said you had power over me..." the show boy than proceeds to raise his fist against the sides of Steven's head with heavy force. "But you've forgotten that controlling power is what a magician does best."

Despite how disoriented the Diamond was feeling, Steven readied his position, summoning his trident as he used it to regain some balance back. He charged at him, only to trip up as he felt a force trip him up, making him land on his back. "Through clever deceit and diversion..." Dipper continued to talk, taking a large branch that was on the ground, and taking a swing at the down Diamond. "I can gain the upper hand over anyone, no matter how powerful..." One mighty blow smashes against the Diamond's stomach, prompting the tyrant to stand right up. "..no matter how mighty." He lands another blow across his face, marking some pretty significant bruises and scrapes across the Diamond's face.

"I don't need the protocol to end your life. I've already shown you that I have more than enough power to overpower you." He launches himself with a loud grunt, though the show boy glowed a slight shade of blue, and was somehow able to move faster than he thought the show boy could, and right as he began to light up his hands once more, Dipper grabbed ahold of his hands, this times though with a familiar blue substance on his own hands.

"You may have kept the machine, but I still kept the insolated gloves." He smirks again as he punches him flat in the face, causing the Diamond to face away from his attacker, only to be struck dumbfounded by another familiar sight."

"Guess who?" The other Dipper, this one wearing the cape, said as he shoved in the Diamonds face a fistful of blue flames, scorching it all of the Diamond's head.

"Agghg!" The Diamond screamed in agony. Granted, he was not a stranger to increasingly high temperatures, but he'd never had it so close to his face. Skin that had been, up to that point, relatively spared from harsh abuse and scorn. Any softness immediately disappeared , as it was replaced with bright red burns, peeling away his skin as the most likely infected wounds stung all over him. Covering the right side of his face where the burns were the most serious, he stared at the duo, who only laughed at the tyrant's weaken position.

"I know, it's like your worst nightmare come alive, right." The Dipper with a cape spoke up. "I know because I experienced it first hand earlier today. You decided to help yourself, so I decided, why shouldn't I?"

"My handsome progenitor here was clever enough to find a way to duplicate himself." The cape less Dipper spoke aside from his counterpart. "Tyrone, if you please." He bowed a little, only serving to make the Diamond growl in anger. "I know, it's infuriating. One day your feel as if your closer than ever to achieving what you desire, then some pest comes along and kills the mood." Taking no more chances, Tyrone charged at the Diamond, knocking him down, only to quickly grab his arms, pinning him down to the ground even more.

"Now, down to business." He said, walking up to the Diamond, keeping his hands lit up, and grabbing onto the throat of the Diamond, removing any softness on the flesh of the Diamond's neck, and preventing the Diamond from expressing anymore of his pain. "Remove the program. Remove the Stonemason Protocol."

"Fo, fo, Follow, me." The Diamond replied with a slight whimper. The two Dipper's finally let him go, and for a slight moment, the Diamond considers snapping his fingers. The Dipper's seemed to plan for this, as a bright blue glow surrounds him.

"As you said, I know how to use this trinket perfectly." He fed the Diamond's words right back at him. "Don't even think about it, sparky. I'll throw you in the air the second I even suspect fowl play."

Complying, the Diamond's nodded, knowing that he couldn't so anything else. The next few minutes were very long and agonizing for the little tyrant. He never felt so humiliated, degraded, and weak all at once. Well, maybe he had before, but this moment stood out since the fact that it was Dipper who done it made all the more painful.

"So you've unevened the odds against me, in a moment that you knew I would be weak and at my most vulnerable." The Diamond stated more than asked as he made his way towards his computer, not once taking his eye off the little orb on his left.

"It really was a smart plan, wasn't it." Tyrone replied, more then happy to continue humiliating Steven. "Alone, It would've taken my hours to even consider the exact coordination."

"But with myself by my side, I was more than able to consider every probability, every step, every misfire." He chuckled even more. "It wasn't even the best trick I had. Just a simple, sleight of hand, if we're to simplify things."

The Diamond offered no response to this as he handed the two a bright green orb, offing it to the caped Dipper. "Place your hand on this, it should deactivate the protocol immediately." Satisfied, Dipper did as he told, though he still couldn't help but gleam at his increasing fortune.

"At last, you know, I truly thought the rest of my life would be terrible. But, it turns out, all I needed was myself to make it through it all. I am truly an amazing person." He gloated.

"You're a tool." The Diamond responded, smirking as the orb beeped, making both Dipper's back away a little in fear. "A useful tool to have, but a massive tool nonetheless." The orb brings on a flash of light, knocking the Dippers out just enough to bring out his trident. "This is more than long overdue." He raised up his trident to strike at Dipper, when the copy immediately gets in front of it.

shink.

No blood was spilt from the copy's body, but it did do much damage as the Diamond reeled back his trident. A huge, gapping rip was torn into the body, and now, ripped to shreds, Tyrone fell agape, silent in his last few moments of life, his face of horror being the last impression on Dipper's mind.

"You! YOU!" Giving the Diamond no time to readjust himself, Dipper glowed his entire body, punching, shocking, and hitting the Diamond in every way that he knew how. "You! You!" He kept repeating, to angry to say anything else. Sparks began to fly everywhere around the ship as the young Diamond was tossed and turned at every corner, not even given a moment to breathe without coming into contact with something.

"I must admit." The Diamond smiled as the show boy stood before him. "That was quite the show. And the part with you going mad with rage was good as well." The Diamond ignored his pain. "Sacrificing himself for you. At least it shows that some aspect of your brain knows what it's doing."

"Your not getting away with that." Dipper announced. "I don't care what happens next, I just know it's going to end with you in a body bag."

"Such emotion over a simple duplicate? It's not like you can't get another one, seeing as you've shown me any idiot can get one." He hold up his hourglass. "If your going to be so sentimental over it, I'll just go back to when he was still alive. I'll make sure not to miss my target." He glowed a bright light, and before Dipper could do anything about it,the Diamond was gone.

* * *

Back at the Diamond's ship, the yellow tyrant found a bright blue card that had writing in some sort of sticky red substance, though the Diamond didn't bother to read what any of it said as he was way to focused on the picture that the show girl had so thoughtfully decided to add in. It was him, bowing on one knee as she wore a big white dress with some sort of veil on her head. The Diamond immediately shuddered as ignited the card with his electricity. "As if I'd ever bow to her."

Before he entered his ship however, right in the back of him, was a beaten and burned Steven Diamond. He still held his reserved expression despite all this. "My Diamond." The other Diamond replied with some apprehension. It felt a little weird to say that out loud, more so than he originally thought.

The Diamond slowly turned around, not fazed or impressed by what stood before him. "What did you do?" He asked with a clear anger in his voice.

"It was the Pines boy. He ambushed me with a duplicate." The other Diamond admitted to himself, once again, feeling weird to confess his failure.

"He, he didn't have access to the hourglass, did he?" The Diamond asked, not even wanting to consider that scary thought.

"No, of course not. If that were the case, I wouldn't really be here now, would I?" The other Diamond mused. "They gloated on and on about it. He found a way to copy his form, though they don't seem especially strong or durable."

"Of course. What the world needs is another flesh bag to add on to the pile of filth that its amounted to." He groaned as he turned around. "Tell what they did and proceed with out plan. I'll see to it that I don't succumb to your pitiful level."

The other Diamond was about to comply, when the weight of his own words fell on him. Earlier, this was simple. He had it all planned out. He would tell himself, and destroy his hourglass once he was done. What made it different earlier? Was it because the earlier duplicate only went back a few minutes? Was this sudden hesitation due to the fact that he had lived a little longer than the other temporal duplicate, thinking that he wouldn't need to do this. What made the last few hours so special? The pain, the humiliation, why would...

 _"Revenge."_ The word rang in his mind. He didn't feel satisfied with this. It was his life that they almost obliterated. He wasn't going to stand by as the people attempting to kill him, well, his earlier version of himself, stay alive. Sure, with one Diamond with foreknowledge of it, they would most likely meet a miserable end, but with two Diamond's, who's to say that their misery had to end?

"I will." The future Diamond explained. "But, we do it my way." The younger Diamond turned his head in confusion. "I know what they're going to do. I know what's going to happen. So, I'll stay for a moment, just to make sure everything is done perfectly."

"Ha, and just what makes you think I'm going to let you?" The younger Diamond threaten. "You're not me, your a remnant, a duplicate, a bad memory that's soon to be forgotten." He points to his hourglass. "You're beaten, you're weaken, and you don't deserve to bare my name."

"Oh, I agree on all accounts." The older Diamond changed his tone a little, holding back the anger that he was feeling for himself. "But I'm an older, version. Not by much, but just enough. I've felt the pain they inflicted on me, and I want to be there to pay in back ten fold. But they'll never truly get the punishment they deserve if you deny yourself this opportunity." He smiled as he held out his had. "Double the Diamond, double the fun."

"And double the danger of it all." The younger replied as he held out his hand. "But I suppose it's only right to allow yourself revenge before you go away. And If he does indeed have his own duplicate, then I will need to be able to level the odds somehow." He takes back his hand as he motions the older Diamond to follow him. "I am serious about the name though. I'm not calling you Diamond."

"Of course." He responded slowly, leering at his counterpart. "My Diamond."

* * *

A small smile was plastered on the face of Dipper. "Ah, you know, I figured I'd find all the less impressive right now. I'd thought, for some odd reason, that you'd actually live up to you threats, but staring at you know, all I can see is the sad, pathetic, lowlife of a brat that I've always see."

Instead of the expected negative backlash, the Diamond simply chuckled. "That's what you said last time?" Steven got closer to the Dipper. "Well, coming from you after all that we've been through, I suppose I could see why I would fail, but it doesn't make it that less believable."

"Last time? the Dipper question, though it only took him a second to figure out what he meant by that. "You time traveled, didn't you?"

"Yes, that's how I know that you're not the real flesh bag, Tyrone." Tyrone's face grimaced at the sound of Steven saying his name. "As of right now, my own temporal duplicate is locating the original."

"You mean, found the original." A similar sounding voice coming in, shoving the original to the ground. The other Steven came to the ground as well. The two Dippers stare at the future Diamond, both still shocked by the burns and wounds on his face. "It wasn't that hard really."

Tyrone slightly toned out the Diamond's voice as he focused on helping his counterpart. "Are you alight?"

"I was fine." He shrugged off his copies helping hand as he got up himself. "I was alright until pizza face over here ambushed me."

"Just a small payment back for your, artistic touch." The future Diamond waved all over his face. "And, as little as it matters in the long run, call me D.U.2." All three boys stare at him weirdly for that. "What, the flesh bag's has one, might as well make myself distinguishable before I disappear."

"So that's how we're going to play it?" The real Dipper asks, both Dipper's preparing a fighting stance. "A Dual of Duplicates tonight?"

"Well, less of a dual, and more of a way of subjugating revenge and utter humiliation upon you." D.U.2 spoke. "Even if the playing field has evened out, we're still Diamond's, beings that we've already established are far more superior. And I already know your form doesn't really have that thick of a mass." He points to Tyrone, who proceeded to cover up his upper area already, feeling an oddly familiar need to protect that area.

"I've already learned from our fights, and every time that I replay those memories in my head, I always come back to one solution." With a snap of his fingers, a larger crowd began to surround them. More and more Dipper's came around, from the bushes, from the tress, each one of them having a number on them staring from 3, all around them was the face of Dipper. "If you need something done right, then you got to do it yourself."

"And there's plenty of me's around to help out." Tyrone finished, signaling the many Dipper copies to charge forward on the two Diamonds.

Summoning both of their tridents, the both of them stood back to back as they prepared to fight off the army, though a slightly troubled face on D.U.2 remained. "I, this, this wasn't here before. Is it because I went back, or does.."

"Your lack of foresight hardly matters at the present moment, D.U.2." The Diamond said, still rather unmoved at the turn of events before him. "Hard to believe I was this close to becoming you."

That, for some odd reason, really stung the future Diamond. He knew that, well, he was right to feel this way about, himself, but, but this, this felt wrong. Sighing, D.U.2 regained his emotionless expression as he prepared to fight. "I'm going to hate myself after all this, aren't I?"

* * *

 _next time, the battle wages on as sides are decided and choices are made, some predictable, some surprising, and some that'll change things for the worse, while Mabel battles her rival._


End file.
